


From Two Separate Worlds

by BloodyRose1979



Category: Death Note (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Canon - Anime, Death Note Corrupts, F/M, Honestly the alternate ending is better written, Shinigami can disguise themselves as humans, Unrequited Love, Wammy Boys, Which starts from Chapter 35, alternate ending included, so check that out at least if you hold out till chapter 35, sort of love triangle
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-20
Updated: 2017-07-20
Packaged: 2018-12-04 19:12:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 43
Words: 74,948
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11561544
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BloodyRose1979/pseuds/BloodyRose1979
Summary: A shinigami dropped her Death Note, hoping to escape from painful memories but things don't go as expected. Now she's caught up in the battle between L and Kira. She helps Light in his plans while disguised as a human but is conflicted about which side she's truly on. As the battle goes on, she touches the hearts of Light and L while coming to terms with her past.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: Death Note and its characters belong to Tsugumi Ohba

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm gonna tell you now that I haven't written a real death note fanfic before it is possible that the characters might be out of character at times, especially since it is a romance and I have no real idea how Light for example would act in such a story. I did my best though and all I ask is that you give it a chance and not criticize me too badly for it.
> 
> Warning: possible OOCness at times.
> 
> Disclaimer: Death Note and its characters belong to Tsugumi Ohba

Day in and day out. Always the same. Never changing. All I could do in this desolate place was submerge myself in my memories. Memories of the past...memories of  **him**. Those bittersweet memories tore at my heart but they were all I had; only memories and regrets.

I sighed as I once again told myself that I just had to accept it. That was just my "life" now; there was nothing I could do to change it. I suddenly couldn't stand to just sit there anymore and dwell so I rose to my feet. The others nearby glanced over at me as I started walking off but they didn't say anything like usual.

I slowly walked through the dreary, dead plain, thinking that maybe I would go and visit Rem or Gelus. I really just needed to do something…anything. It felt like my brain was rotting from doing nothing and my heart was plagued by a constant ache. My fingers were starting to twitch from all the excess energy that had been building up over the years. Despite all that energy, I felt like I had to drag my feet just to move. I stopped a while away at the sound of laughter.

 _Oh…it's him,_ I thought as I slowly looked over at the laughing shinigami that was watching me from a large rock.

"You don't look so good." He said, glancing at my twitching hands. I ignored him and attempted to walk past. He flew down to block my path.

"Why torture yourself?" He asked, though I doubt that he actually cared about me. Knowing him, he was probably just looking for something to amuse him. "You know there's a way." His eyes glowed red as he spoke. "A way to stop your descent into madness. Why are you hesitating? You've done it before. You just need to do it again."

He was right...there was a way. It wasn't one I liked to think about though…the consequences of it weren't something I wanted to risk. I was reaching my limit though. I really didn't have much choice.

 _It was either that or staying here till I finally went mad or died from heartache. W_ ith that thought my mind was made up. It seemed I was more selfish than I realized.

My twitching hand fell to my waist, checking to see if my two notebooks were still strapped there. One was mine and the other was one I had come across while wandering aimlessly years ago. No shinigami came to reclaim it, not that it was really possible to find a single missing notebook in this expansive world, and so I kept it as my own. He started laughing again, seeing that he had convinced me. It made me doubt my choice but not enough to change my mind. He let me pass on my way towards the portal.

It didn't take as long to reach it as I expected, as my feet were no longer dragging. I peered down over the cliff into the swirling white depths below. I stood there, wondering if I was really ready to return to that world.

 _I have to do something,_ I reminded myself and with that thought I stepped off the edge and fell headfirst into those swirling depths.

Everything went bright then dark then bright again. I felt my anticipation grow as the atmosphere around me become lighter. I instinctively summoned my wings from my back and spread them out to stop my descent even though it was rather unnecessary. I waited till I was gliding smoothly before really looking around.

I had forgotten how bright this world was…how beautiful it was. The sky was filled with white fluffy clouds that would turn bright when the sunshine peeked out from behind them. The way the sun shined through and enveloped the ground below in rays of dazzling light and reflected off the many windows of startlingly tall buildings and shiny contraptions that sped down the roads was truly breathtaking. I let out a couple unsteady breaths as I was overwhelmed by sad nostalgia.

After admiring the view for a bit I removed one of my notebooks from the strap around my waist. I looked down at it and felt my determination waver. I thought of the possible consequences of what I was about to do…no, there was nothing 'possible' about it; I knew that no matter who picked it up, someone was going to die.

 _There's no way_ _ **he**_ _would approve of this,_  I thought, sadly.  _It's either this or going back though._

I gripped the notebook tightly with my suddenly steady hands, almost leaving marks on the cover, and just stared down at the innocent looking book. My thoughts warred inside my mind for a while until finally selfishness won out.

_I'm sorry._

I let go of the notebook and flew on without watching it fall so I wouldn't be tempted to catch it. Having achieved what I needed, I returned to my realm…and waited.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Back in the human world, a young man witnessed a notebook falling from the sky from his seat by the classroom window. He attempted to pretend that he hadn't witnessed such a strange event but ultimately picked up the mysterious book.

"The human whose name is written in this notebook shall die." He read from the first page. "Ridiculous."

He put it back down and started walking away. He paused only a few feet away and came back as there was a faint nagging sensation that he couldn't shake off. He picked it up once more and the feeling subsided. He walked off again but this time he brought it along with him, unknowingly setting his fate in motion.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That other shinigami that convinced our main to go back to human world was supposed to be Ryuk. Hope that was clear enough.
> 
> I'm in the process of slowly updating certain chapters so I apologize for an inconsistencies. I'll do my best to fix them all.
> 
> Please Comment.


	2. Light Yagami

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: Death Note and its characters belong to Tsugumi Ohba

It had been several days since I dropped my notebook. Thinking that was enough time, I traveled through the portal again, this time to find the human who now had my notebook. This time the world was dark…nighttime, I vaguely recalled. Flashes of light filled the sky randomly with a loud, booming sounds…a storm. The fierce rain and wind didn't hinder my flight at all though. I followed the pull that would lead me to my notebook.

I eventually came upon a house; I took in the sight of it before phasing through the window into the room where my notebook was. A flash of lightening accompanied my entrance and my shadow on the wall alerted the room's occupant to my presence. The young man quickly turned towards me and promptly fell out of his chair with a cry of surprise and fear. He stayed there on the floor, staring up at me, no doubt disturbed by my appearance. I glanced at the top of his head to see what his name was.

"Light Yagami." I spoke for the first time in decades. My voice sounded just as awful as I remembered. "I am the shinigami, Akishi."

Light's POV:

I expected a shinigami to appear but I was nowhere near prepared for what I saw…it was revolting. Putting it simply, it looked like a decaying corpse with bones visible in certain places. It had long greasy black hair that was tangled beyond belief and what seemed to be bandages over its right eye and an empty socket where the other eye should be. There was a faint red glow coming from deep within the socket. However, despite how revolting and sickening it looked…I couldn't look away…nor could I speak.

"Too much for you?" The shinigami spoke and it sounded almost…sad? I regained my composure and calmly stood up.

"Not at all." I replied, hiding my disgust and horror as best as I could as I forced myself to keep my eyes on it.

"Really?" Its head tilted as it looked me over with its...whatever it used to see. I reached for the black notebook that rested on my desk and opened it up.

"You are here for this, right?" I held it open for it to see. It slowly reached for it and took it from my hands, thankfully without touching them. It stared silently at the notebook and trembled.

"What are you going to do to me?" It didn't even look at me. It just kept staring at the notebook, taking in all the names I wrote in it…all the people I've killed with it.

"I've never heard of a human using the notebook this much before." Its voice was tense but not angry like I had been expecting. The shinigami tossed the notebook onto my desk. I repeated my question and finally got an answer.

"I'm not going to do anything to you, for the time being anyway…that notebook became yours the moment you picked it up. It will ultimately fall on me to write your name down but that is for when you die…or when I feel like it."

"That's not very reassuring." I said.

"It's not meant to be." The shinigami stared silently at me for a couple seconds then suddenly made a sound that I assumed was supposed to be a scoff.

"You should've just said something if my appearance was too much for you."

It seemed I didn't hide my feelings as well as I thought. A sudden crack distracted me from responding. The sound came from its leg suddenly snapping, which was then followed by another crack as the other leg did the same. I stared at those legs, wondering what the hell had just happened when I noticed that the broken bones were fusing together again but differently than before and healthy flesh was starting to appear over the bones that were visible.

The shinigami now stood shorter and its legs were now thick like a regular human's instead of thin and lanky like before. Flesh wasn't just appearing on the legs but rather covering everything. I finally had to look away as the sight of healthy flesh crawling across the shinigami's rotting skin like a swarm of bugs was too much. I heard two more cracks, which I assumed was the breaking of the arms. I keep my eyes averted for a couple more minutes, wanting to make sure it was done before looking.

"You can look now."

My head whirled around at that feminine voice. I was shocked to see that there was now an attractive young woman standing in front of me where that ugly, horrifying creature once stood. She had neatly brushed long, black hair and was wearing a traditional white kimono, like the ones used for burials. The only thing that hinted to her true nature was that the left eye was a bright, almost glowing, red while the other was black.

"So you hide your ugly, horrifying nature under the guise of an attractive female…how deceitful." I teased, surprisingly falling into an almost easy banter. She frowned at my words.

"I only changed my appearance because you were having a hard time dealing with it." She huffed and crossed her arms while also turning away from me, reminding me a lot of my little sister.

"I didn't ask you to though." I pointed out.

"You didn't need to…I could see it in your face." She scowled at me. I conceded on that matter but didn't drop the subject entirely.

"You didn't have to change your appearance to such an extent…merely looking human would have been enough."

"I don't get to control the appearance of my human form beyond the clothing I wear." She walked towards my bed as she said this. She spread her arms and fell back onto my bed.

"Why is that?"

"Don't know…some shinigami believe that is because our human form is how we looked when we were alive."

"You mean shinigami were once human?"

Now that was interesting. She just hummed impassively. I walked to the side of my bed and glared at her but she ignored me. I realized that I wasn't going to get an answer no matter what so I focused on something else.

"Who said you could lay on my bed?" It was a childish retort but I was a little annoyed at her ignoring me. She glanced at me then sighed. She suddenly levitated up so that she was floating over the sheets. However, she was still in the way of my bed.

"Move." She smirked at me, remaining right where she was.

I barely suppressed the urge to roll my eyes and reached forward to push her. However, I fell forward across my bed as my hands and body passed right through her. I turned onto my back and stared up at her in surprise. She laughed and turned so she was now floating face to face with me with her hair moving weightlessly in slow, meaningless patterns.

"All you have to do is ask nicely." She gave me one of those smiles that were way too innocent to actually be.

"Please move." I glared at her again.

"Say it along with my name."

"Your name?"

"You haven't used my name yet and I want you to." I silently stared into those eyes and saw an earnest pleading hidden deep in their depths. I don't know why but I did just that.

"Please move…Akishi." I was surprised by how easily her name left my lips.

Her face broke out into a huge smile and I honestly believed her to be a true human for that split second. She floated back and away from my bed, giving me space to sit up. I looked up and found her there standing on the ground before me. She held her hand out to me and gave me a gentle smile.

"Nice to meet you, Light."

I looked at her and reminded myself that she wasn't a human but I found that that no longer really mattered at the moment so I reached out and took her hand. I shook hands with her and gave an honest smile.

"Nice to meet you…Akishi."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please Comment.


	3. Looking at the Past and Future

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: Death Note and its characters belong to Tsugumi Ohba

"Why do you kill?"

At that spoken question, I stopped writing in the Death Note and looked over at Akishi, who was lying on my bed once again, staring at me with concern. It was strange for her to be there when I wrote in the notebook; she usually left the house whenever I opened it. I always wondered where she went but I never really got around to asking her. I could tell that she wanted to leave again but stayed for some reason.

"What are you hoping to achieve?"

"I'm trying to cleanse this world." Her concern was replaced with curiosity. She sat up on my bed and gave me her full attention.

"What do you mean?"

"Everyone written down here…" I gestured to the notebook. "Are criminals. By killing them off, I'm making the world a better place where no one commits crimes."

"They are all criminals?" She asked me, hope clear in her voice.

"Yes." I reassured her. She still seemed a bit bothered but more at ease than before. Over the few days I had known her I discovered that, despite being a shinigami, she hated killing people and didn't want any innocent lives to be sacrificed to prolong her own but, just like any human, the fear of death keeps her killing. She suddenly smiled wistfully while looking down at her hands.

"What's wrong?" "I turned my chair around completely so I could face her properly.

"You're so different from the last human who had my notebook." The tone in which she said this made me really curious to hear more.

"What was he like?"

"He never actually used the notebook…even though he wasn't sure whether it really worked. He didn't want to risk killing anyone but still held onto it for some reason until I showed up."

"He then gave it back, didn't he?" She shook her head with a fond smile.

"He held onto it…when I asked him why he said it was so that I would stick around." She laughed humorlessly. "He even accepted my hideous appearance..." She trailed off, looking forlorn.

"You didn't use your human form?" I asked, genuinely curious.

"I never needed to." She said. "He said he was fine with my true form." A quick sad smile passed her lips. "He asked me to stay with him because he longed for company, which he could never seem to find in humans like himself."

"Why couldn't he?" I pressed for more even though I saw that this was hard for her to talk about.

"He was a very sick and frail human and because of this no one really wanted to put up with him despite his kind and caring nature…I was all he had." She paused and smiled with sad fondness. "He was always so positive about everything though. He faced every day with a bright smile and a hearty laugh. I didn't really understand how he could…then again there were many things I didn't understand."

She pulled her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. She rested her head on top of her knees and stared solemnly to the side. "There are still some things I don't understand." It seemed like she was talking to herself now instead of me.

I said nothing to encourage her to talk more for it was obvious what happened in the end. However, she still continued on her own and what she said surprised me.

"In the end he asked me to kill him before his illness could." I was stunned by the sight of tears spilling down her face. "He...he confessed his love for me with his last breath even though he knew I didn't feel the same."

"But you did feel the same…didn't you?" Where that question came from I had no idea. She wiped at her tears and shook her head.

"With time I might have but...I didn't. That's what hurts the most…I couldn't give him what he really wanted."

I had no idea what to say to her and she knew that. She continued to wipe at her tears while trying to give me a smile and somehow that made it even worse. I tried to remember what I used to do to comfort my sister Sayu. I vaguely remembered holding her to me as she cried but I couldn't do that here with Akishi…could I? Having no other ideas, I rose and approached her. She looked up at me right as I sat next to her and wrapped an arm around her shoulder, pulling her close into a one-armed hug. She froze but then after a while she leaned into it and buried her face into my shoulder. I was never really one to show affection for others but it felt surprisingly natural right then.

"Light! Dinner's ready!" We broke away at the sound of my sister's voice.

"Coming!" I called back to her and quickly walked away from the bed, hoping to escape the awkwardness that was sure to come.

"Light…" I reluctantly stopped and looked back at Akishi, who gave me a grateful smile. I smiled back and went to leave but stopped again when I saw her smile change to a serious frown.

"Promise me Light…promise me that no matter what you will not take the lives of any innocent people." There was that pleading look in her eyes again and I gave into her wish without fully thinking about the magnitude of it.

"I promise." She sagged in relief and rose from my bed. I watched as her wings sprung from her back.

"Where are you going?" I asked.

" **His**  grave." She gave me a carefree smile before phasing through my wall.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope it doesn't seem to soon to have Akishi's backstory there. Hope Light wasn't too out of character. I was really unsure on how to have the two bond…Light's fault really because he's such a hard character to write. Oh god how am I going to write L then? NOOOO!
> 
> I had a few days happen since the last chapter in case I didn't make that clear enough and L will probably appear next chapter.
> 
> Please Comment.


	4. L

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: Death Note and its characters belong to Tsugumi Ohba

My cleansing of the world was going very well, fewer crimes were being committed and more and more people were acknowledging my existence as the Great God Kira. I wondered what the police were going to do; it was only a matter of time before they took real action against me. I wasn't worried though, there's nothing they can really do to stop me. I took a break from writing in the Death Note and looked around my room to see if Akishi was back but she wasn't.

I had asked her the other day what she did when she visited the grave of the previous owner of the notebook and she bashfully admitted that she talked to the grave like most humans did. She knew that he couldn't hear her but she claimed that it felt like the right thing to do when there. However, she wouldn't tell me what she talked about.

I let out a sigh as I stretched in my seat then turned the television on. I watched a news announcement about how crime rates were dropping and couldn't help but chuckle at how the news announcers were only now acknowledging this.

I frowned when the announcement was abruptly cut off by another announcement of some sort…this time one by the police. Sitting in front of the camera was a professionally dressed man with neatly brushed hair but what really stood out was the smug look he was directing at the camera. I understood why when he started to address Kira himself after introducing himself as some detective called L. I smirked as the man spoke of stopping my killings. There's no way he could do that without taking the Death Note away from me and the police didn't even know that it existed. I watched the man with amusement but then he said something that really fazed me.

"What you are doing…is evil." That bastard even smirked after saying that. I felt a sudden unexplainable rage consume me. The only thought that went through my mind was,  _kill him…kill him…show him who he's messing with._

I shot up from my chair and shouted at the screen, not really knowing what I was saying, then practically ripped the Death Note open. I insulted L as I wrote the name that was on the plate in front of the man with more force than necessary. Seeing that name written there in big letters thrilled me and I quickly looked back at the screen to watch that bastard die. I counted down the seconds and laughed out loud when he clenched his chest and fell face first onto the desk. In the back of my mind I was grateful that Akishi wasn't there to see this.

My laughing cut off when the image on the screen changed to that of a black "L" in old English font. A technologically altered voice spoke out its surprise at my killing the man on live television without having to be there in person. I stood there in shock and dread as the voice proclaimed itself to be the real L.

 _That man earlier was just a stand in,_ I thought in outrage, not only at the fact that I hadn't killed the real thing but that I had fallen for this guy's trap.

L provoked and taunted me, telling me to kill him but I couldn't and he knew that. L went on to tell me how he determined that the mysterious hearts attacks were in fact acts of murder and how he now knew my general location. I was so fixated on what L was saying that I didn't even notice Akishi phase back into my room.

"Light…?" She called out to me but I couldn't answer her. Seeing my angry, shocked face, she quickly came over to see what I was looking at.

"Kira, it won't be too long now before I am able to sentence you to death." She flinched and looked at me with worried eyes. I stood there in shock even as the screen went back to the original announcement. After a moment I laughed, feeling like I was on some sort of high. This L seems like he'll be a real challenge and the thought of such a challenge thrilled me.

"Light?" She called to me again and placed a hand on my shoulder, clearly concerned about my mental state. I calmed myself down and gave her the best reassuring smile I could muster in my current state.

"I'm fine…it's just so amusing that they think they can stop me." She clearly didn't believe me.

"Maybe you should stop this." She spoke softly, knowing that I wouldn't like the idea.

"What?" I was shocked by her words when I knew that I shouldn't have been.

"You could be killed and-"

"I won't surrender and I won't lose." I declared, perhaps more heatedly than I should have. She looked into my eyes with her own pleading ones and I actually felt my will crumble slightly but I managed to stop myself from giving into her wishes this time. Seemingly sensing this, she turned away. I gently gripped her shoulders and spun her around to face me again.

"Don't worry…I'll be fine." I made sure to speak softly this time and it seemed to soothe her worries somewhat as she managed to give me a small smile. I felt guilty when I remembered my new resolve to find and kill L…she would hate that so I didn't tell her about it and in doing so I felt even guiltier. I reminded myself that I couldn't achieve my goal without getting rid of L and that was enough to justify my not telling her but…I still felt that guilt.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here starts Light's slow fall into insanity and obsession with getting rid of those that stand in his way. Honestly, I don't think this chapter came out as well as the others did but I had a really hard time with it and this was what I ended up with. I just wanted to get L's introduction over with.
> 
> Sorry that there wasn't much Akishi in this one.
> 
> Please Comment.


	5. Sudden Turn of Events

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The part in the beginning of the chapter really goes against what is established in the original series but then again shinigami taking on human form does that as well.
> 
> Disclaimer: Death Note and its characters belong to Tsugumi Ohba

"Wait…let me get this straight…" I looked at Akishi in awed confusion. She crossed her arms and waited slightly impatiently for me to digest what she had just told me.

"While in human form you can make yourself visible to everyone even if they haven't touched the notebook?" She nodded.

"Only while in human form though." She emphasized.

"And you're telling me this…why?"

"I want to actually experience this world like humans do but I have to stay with you most of the time so…I wanted to walk with you on your way to and back from school while being visible at least."

"I don't think that's a good idea." I said, not mentioning that I didn't really understand why being visible mattered to her.

"Why?" She asked.

I was about to explain that L would have started investigating those connected to the police, like me who was the son of a police chief, but I stopped myself. Telling her that would only make her worry more about my safety and I didn't want her to.

"You know what…Maybe that's a good idea after all." I had no choice but to concede. She beamed.

"You'll need to wear something else though." I pointed out, gesturing to her burial robes. She looked down at her attire and agreed with me.

"I know…turn around Light." I was unsure what her intentions were but swirled my chair around like she wanted. I heard the sound of moving fabric and assumed that she was changing her clothes…but what would she be putting on?

"Okay…you can look now." I turned back around and promptly gawked at her new attire. Akishi was now wearing a knee-length black dress with long sleeves, white leggings and black boots.

"How does it look?" She asked me as she turned, looking at her new clothes. "I saw some girl wearing something similar on my way to the cemetery the other day and tried to recreate it."

I continued to stare at how the clothes flattered her figure and brought out her unique red eye. I quickly composed my face when she looked over at me.

"It looks nice." She glowed at the compliment and did a little twirl, apparently liking how the dress followed her movements. I smiled at her rather childlike joy.

"Light! Are you ready yet!" I heard my mother call up to me. I quickly rose from my chair and grabbed my school bag.

"Meet me on the next block, make sure no one's around before making yourself visible." I quickly said to Akishi as I made my way out of my room.

"What happened Light? You don't usually take so long to get ready?" My mother questioned me as I entered the kitchen.

"Nothing…just had a slow start today. Gotta go!"

I quickly made my way out the front door before she could ask me why I was leaving in such a hurry. Akishi was right where I asked her to be. She smiled at me and greeted me as if we hadn't just seen each other. I mentally questioned this behavior but decided not to focus on it right then. I returned the greeting and started walking with her falling into step beside me.

On the way to school, Akishi seemed to revel in any interaction with others she got, whether it was a kind greeting or a rude shove by a rushing stranger. I was surprised by how happy being seen and interacted with made her. Seeing her like this was surprisingly endearing to me and I had a hard time keeping a smile off my face.

At one point we passed a group of college girls. They looked so close in age to Akishi that it got me wondering.

"Hey Akishi."

"Hmmm?" She looked back at me without slowing her pace.

"How old are you exactly?" I asked.

"Oh Light, you know better than to ask a woman her age." She replied with a teasing grin. I rolled my eyes.

"You're not the type to get upset over such a question." She laughed.

"True." She was silent for a few steps then spoke once more.

"I can't really tell you how old I am in terms of shinigami years as I lost track a long time ago. However, if you're asking how old I was when I died, well… I guess, judging by this form's appearance, around twenty."

"You mean you don't know?"

"I don't really remember much at all about my human life."

"Well, what do you remember?" There was a long pause again and this time when she spoke she didn't turn to look at me.

"I was killed." I froze in my tracks as ice filled my veins. "That's all I remember."

Killed? She was killed? I couldn't wrap my mind around it; it just sounded so wrong. It was bad enough that she died so young but to have been killed. Who knows what her killer put her through before ending her life? The ice in my veins turned to fury. I wanted to write that bastard's name in the Death Note but the guy was no doubt long dead. That didn't make the anger dissipate though.

"It's okay, Light." I looked up at her. She still wasn't facing me.

"There's nothing you can do to change the past…there's no reason to dwell on it." She finally turned my way. She flashed me a smile. "Come on, you're going to be late if we dawdle any further." She started walking once more. I forced the anger down before catching up with her.

Slowly her cheerful, carefree attitude returned, which I was grateful for. I didn't ask her any more questions about her human life or even how she was killed…I think I was better off not knowing.

I reluctantly parted ways with her at the school gate. She promised to be there when I got out. I smiled at her, ignoring the curious murmurs of the students near us, and turned to enter the building. Right before my back was completely to her I noticed that she glanced subtly down the street. I wanted to question her on that but I didn't have the time right then.

While in class, I forced myself to think about what I had discovered while hacking into my dad's computer instead of what I learned about Akishi. There were reports on the progress of the Kira case in there and the newest one was how they believed Kira to be a student…how right they were. After reading the report, I had decided to manipulate the times of death so that it would seem like Kira wasn't a student.

I was testing to see if this would fool L but mostly I wanted him to suspect that Kira had access to police information. This suspicion would lead to him investigating the police and those close to them and that would cause conflict between him and the police. If things went according to plan, then the police would uncover L for me and then I could kill him.

I eagerly left school and found Akishi waiting for me just like she promised. She seemed honestly happy to see me but there was also a bit of worry in her expression. Unlike earlier, she seemed preoccupied and unaware of what was going on around her while we made our way back to my house. Finally I couldn't take it anymore. I glanced around to see if there was anyone on the street with us before speaking.

"Akishi…" I called to get her attention. She immediately reacted despite how distracted she had appeared. She gave me her attention, wondering what I wanted.

"What's wrong? You've been so preoccupied." She stared silently at me a moment, appearing rather conflicted, and then sighed.

"I didn't want to tell you this…" She turned her head to watch where we were walking before continuing. "No matter what I say Light…don't show any reaction." She whispered to me, instantly putting me on guard.

"You're being followed." My heart froze and I stopped walking despite myself. Akishi walked a few steps further then stopped to look back at me.

"Are you okay?" She asked me, obviously putting on an act for the person that was following us. I quickly composed myself so as not to raise suspicion.

"Yeah…I just remembered something really important that I forgot to do." I easily came up with a lie and kept walking.

The rest of the way back I thought about what to do about this new turn of events. I was so preoccupied with my thoughts that I didn't even ask Akishi why she didn't tell me earlier. It was obvious that the person following me was sent by L but he shouldn't have narrowed it down to me yet. There must be others.

I continued to think about my plan of action while flipping through the rule section of the Death Note. One rule in particular stood out to me and I stopped flipping so I could reread it. It was a very vague rule and I didn't understand it the first time I read it.

_The owner of the notebook can obtain the eyes of a shinigami by making the eye deal with the shinigami._

I reread it again and again; I really felt that there was something there that I could use but I needed to know what the eye deal was first. I turned to Akishi, who was once again lying on my bed, watching TV. She must have sensed my gaze for she looked at me without me calling out to her.

"What?"

"What is the eye deal?" I got right to the point. Akishi tensed and her eyes went wide. She rolled over so she was no longer facing me.

"I don't want to tell you."

"Akishi…I need to know how the Death Note works…every last rule…please." She peeked over at me and eventually sighed. She rolled back and sat up at the foot of the bed

"The eye deal gives the human who owns it the eyes of a shinigami, which enables them to see the name and lifespan of a person just by looking at their face."

I was about to start demanding why she hadn't already told me about this but I stopped when I saw the look on her face…there was more to it.

"What would the human have to give?" I pressed, assuming that this was what made her reluctant to talk about it.

"Half their life span." She finished solemnly.

The reason for her reluctance became clear. She was afraid that I would make the deal because it would benefit me and help me achieve my goal. The shinigami eyes would be great assets but I wasn't about to give up half my life span for them. I told her this and she was instantly relieved. She laid back on the bed again, laughing in relief. I smiled at her then went back to flipping through the rules.

Once again a rule stood out and this time I knew that I could use it to get the name of the man following me. I thought up a plan but then realized that I needed Akishi's help. It seemed I would have to lie to her in order to get her to help and I hated that…but it needed to be done.

"Hey Akishi." She turned her head my way. "I need your help with something." Curious, she sat up and gave me her full attention.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Akishi's ability to make herself visible was because I couldn't think of another way she could interact with L other than him touching the notebook and knowing right from the start that she is a shinigami and I didn't want that.
> 
> Please Comment.


	6. The First of Many

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'd like to share with you guys what gave me this idea. It was the fact that Ryuk was originally going to have a more human form. However, the creator thought having a handsome guy hanging around Light might make the readers think he was the main character instead of Light. You can see the original design by searching in google "death note Ryuk human form" its the one with a young man with purple and white patches of skin stitched among regular skin. Or just go to the gallery section on the ryuk page on Death Note Wikia.
> 
> Disclaimer: Death Note and its characters belong to Tsugumi Ohba

"Okay…I understand the plan but what are you going to do once you get his name?" Akishi asked me after I explained the plan to her.

 _Okay…here goes,_ I thought as I prepared to lie to her and break my promise. The thought of doing so left a sick feeling in my gut that wouldn't go away despite my attempts to justify my lying to her. It didn't help that she was looking up at me with eyes full of trust.

"I'm going to threaten him as Kira in order to get him to do what I want."  _There…it's done,_  I thought, still feeling sick. She sat there quietly, contemplating.

"Won't it be obvious then that you're Kira?" I mentally sighed, for once hating that she was so perceptive.

"Don't worry…I have a plan." Her face scrunched up slightly as she seemingly tried to figure out what my plan could be. She gave up after a minute.

"Okay Light." She gave me a smile that showed how much faith she had in me. Normally I felt a flutter in my chest when she smiled, especially when she smiled at me, but this time I felt like I had been punched in the gut.

 _She trusts me so much…and I just lied to her,_ I felt that guilt intensify. I quickly turned away and sat down to write in the Death Note before I could reconsider the whole thing.

"When are we going to do this?" She asked.  _As soon as possible,_ I mentally responded, worried that the guilt would soon be too much for me to actually go through with the plan.

"Tomorrow." I said to her as I picked up my cell phone.

"Who are you calling?" She asked as I started to dial a number.

"The final piece of the plan." I said. She was curious and confused but she just silently listened in on my conversation over the phone. She quickly understood what I meant and clearly wasn't happy about it but thankfully she said nothing against it.

The next day I made sure I had everything prepared before leaving the house with Akishi in tow. Once we reached the bus stop, I took my cell phone out and pressed it against my ear to make it seem like I was talking on the phone when really I was talking to the invisible Akishi. I also checked to make sure that there wasn't anyone around to hear me.

"Is he still there?" I asked her. She looked behind us and nodded. "Good." I glanced at her and saw that she was still in her human form and asked her why.

"I figured that changing right in front of his eyes would have more of an impact and if I transform slowly enough, I might not have to go all the way." I looked at her, clearly expecting her to clarify that last comment. She noticed and looked down while nervously picking at her nails. She refused to answer for a minute but eventually caved into my insistent gaze.

"It hurts to transform into my shinigami form." She sheepishly admitted.

"It does?!" I exclaimed, having not expected that.

"Well yeah…I am in a human form after all. I feel pain and anything else humans feel; I can even eat if I want to. Don't ask me why though cause I have no idea." She replied with slight indignation.

"He'll be shooting at you." I reminded her, worriedly.

"I'll be intangible so I'll be fine." She reassured me but I still felt uneasy.  _Great…now I have another reason not to do this,_  I thought with a frown. T _oo late now._

"I wish you had told me earlier." I said to her but she just shrugged.

"Light!" We both looked and saw a girl running over towards me. I put away my phone and greeted her.

"Hello Yuri." She smiled and asked if I had been waiting long. I gave the expected response. Luckily, the bus pulled up right then. I helped Yuri onto the bus and begrudgingly ignored Akishi as I made my way to a seat near the back with Yuri hanging on my arm. The man following me also got on the bus and sat in a seat behind us. I suppressed my shudder as he walked right through Akishi. She pointlessly glared at him and moved over so she wasn't so close to him.

It wasn't long before the plan went into effect. A man got on the bus a couple stops away and proceeded to hijack the bus. He threatened the passengers in the typical hijacker fashion. Knowing that there was only so much time, I immediately went into the next phase of my plan. I took out a blank piece of notepaper and wrote a little message of how I was going to try and restrain the hijacker. I held the paper out for Yuri to read but made sure to hold it at just the right angle for the man behind us to see. The man responded immediately.

"No, don't." The man behind us moved a seat closer, once again passing through Akishi. "It's too dangerous. Leave it to me."

"How do I know you're not his accomplice?" I asked. The man was silent for a minute but quickly pulled out a badge when I moved to get up. He held the badge out for me to see…it was a FBI badge. I inwardly smirked as I took in the man's name right before he put it away…Raye Penber.

Having gotten his name, I went into the last phase of the plan. I slipped my hand into my pocket and pulled out a different note. I dropped it and let out a sound of surprise as I attempted to reach for it, trying to make sure that the hijacker noticed. He did notice and made his way over to us. He grabbed the note and read it. Seeing that it had a trivial reminder on it, he threw it back down and walked back towards the head of the bus.

 _Yes…now it's all up to her,_ I thought, smirking openly. The hijacker stood at the head of the bus, looking out the front window. He suddenly turned around when he heard movement. He immediately noticed Akishi standing in the aisle at the back of the bus and made his way towards her.

"Hey you! Get back…in…your…seat." The hijacker paled and his eyes widened as he stared at Akishi. I could easily imagine her skin peeling off to reveal rotting flesh and bones.

Unfortunately, the hijacker was frozen with fear and not freaking out like I needed him to. Realizing this, Akishi spoke the hijacker's name and it had the desired effect. Hearing his name spoken in that awful, terrifying voice, the hijacker freaked out and began firing his gun at her. Even though I knew Akishi was intangible I couldn't help but tense at each shot as I leaned forward and covered Yuri, worried that I would be hearing Akishi cry out in pain. It wasn't long before the man ran out of bullets. When he did, he ordered the bus driver to stop the bus and ran off the bus…right into the path of an upcoming car. He was dead instantly.

Penber stood in the doorway of the bus, having attempted to stop the man from fleeing, staring down at the body. I reached down and picked up the note before getting up. Everyone stood outside the bus, taking in the grisly scene. I looked over at Akishi who was staring down at the body just like everyone else. She was back in her human form but I was too busy taking in her expression to notice. Akishi had kept her eyes on the man from the moment he turned to flee till now and, unlike Yuri who was staring in horror, she was looking at the body in regret and without any trace of horror or disgust. It made sense…she's had to kill many herself so of course she's used to the sight.

I killed Raye Penber and his fellow FBI agents a week later while Akishi was out. She had made it back before me and welcomed me home with a smile, completely oblivious to what I had done…and I intended to keep it that way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The title of the chapter means the first of many innocent sacrifices or the first of many lies.
> 
> Please Comment.


	7. A Promise Broken

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: Death Note and its characters belong to Tsugumi Ohba

"Light! Light! Light!" I turned around as Akishi phased into my room, calling my name with a big smile. "There's a street fair going on not too far from here, want to come with me?"

Seeing that smile made me think back on my recent betrayal and I had to hide my grimace. I knew it was only a matter of time before I got over it but at that point in time, I couldn't really spend time with her without choking on guilt. I gave her an excuse to not go. I once again had to hide a grimace as her smile fell. She left, clearly disappointed. Coincidentally, right after my mother came and asked me to bring a change of clothes to my father and I wasn't the type of son to deny her. The walk to the police headquarters was lonely without Akishi but there was nothing I could do about that.

I came across a very interesting person upon entering the headquarters. It was a woman who claimed to have information on the Kira case and I naturally had to get involved. I went up to her and offered to have her speak to my father on my cell phone. She was clearly wary of me but she accepted the offer nonetheless. I got her to walk with me and found her name to be Shoko Maki. I asked her about the information she had and she spoke of her fiancé who was an FBI agent and how she wanted to stop Kira for killing him. She continued on about him and it became obvious that her fiancé was Raye Penber. She then talked about the bus hijacking and I was filled with dread as she made the correct assumption that Penber had showed his badge to Kira on that bus. Clearly, she knew too much and I had no choice but to get rid of her.

The problem I quickly found out was that she had given me an alias. I managed to trick her into thinking I was a member of the task force and that I was willing to help her join, all I needed was some form of identification. Completely convinced by my lie, she gave me her driver's license without any suspicion. I wrote her name down on a page of the Death Note that I carried around in my wallet and she watched me, completely oblivious to her upcoming demise. I looked down at my watch, counting down the seconds till the notebook took effect.

"Why do you keep checking your watch?" She asked me, now a little suspicious.

"Oh…I guess it's because…" I looked down again and saw there was only a few seconds left. I looked back up at her, a cruel smirk on my face. "Because I'm Kira." She froze and her face slowly took on a horrified expression as she realized what had just happened. There was no time for her to do anything though. I could see the sudden loss of will in her eyes as she turned and started walking away to fulfill what I had written out.

"Goodbye Naomi Misora." I smirked after her, completely absorbed in the thrill of having taken out an adversary.

"Light?" My heart stopped at that voice and I instinctively spun around to face the speaker. Akishi was standing there with an awful, heartbroken look.

"Akishi…"  _Oh God! How long has she been there?_  I thought to myself. "I was just-" She cut me off by slapping me across the face as hard as she could. There was so much force that I nearly toppled over.

"You promised me!" She shouted at me, clearly outraged and hurt by what I had just done and knowing this hurt me.

"She was-" I tried to talk my way out of this but she wouldn't listen.

"No! I heard…she was just trying to stop you because you killed her fiancé…a FBI agent…but you…" Tears started to spill from her eyes and she fell to her knees. "You…you killed her…with the Death Note." She suddenly covered her face with her hands. "Oh God…I killed them…it's my fault." She started sobbing.

 _That's not the reaction I expected,_ I thought to myself before quickly kneeling in front of her. I pulled her hands away from her face and gently held her face so she would look me in the eye. I had expected her to pull away from me but she seemed to have lost all her strength.

"No…It's my fault. Please don't blame yourself." She started at me silently with tears still falling from her eyes. "I'm sorry…I know I promised you that I wouldn't kill any innocents and I shouldn't have promised you that because the truth is that my goal can't be achieved without sacrifices. Believe me…I wanted to keep that promise but I couldn't. All we can do is make sure that their deaths aren't in vain." I gently wiped her tears away before continuing. "I know I can't ask you to trust me but I swear I won't let those deaths be in vain." She took deep breaths as she tried to stop the tears but that was proving to be difficult.

"I don't know… what to do Light." She choked a bit on her tears.

"You don't have to do anything…I just want you to understand that sacrifices are inevitable." She didn't say anything more but I didn't really expect her to go along with this right from the start. I carefully brought my arms around her and pressed her into my chest. I rubbed her back as she clung to me. I swore right then that I would achieve a new world so she would never blame herself for the lives that were lost.

 _L better watch out, because I will win…for her sake,_ I thought to myself as I held her close.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please Comment.


	8. Another Battle to Fight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: Death note and its characters belong to Tsugumi Ohba

Since Naomi Misora's death, Akishi rarely left the room when I wrote in the Death Note; she would lie there on my bed and watch me write names down. I assumed it was because she no longer trusted me but she claimed that wasn't the reason.

"I'm not staying here because I distrust you Light…"  _That doesn't mean that she trusts me,_ I thought solemnly, once again regretting that she found out the way she did.

"I'm here because I want to see how many people are really being killed for this ideal world of yours. I need to know this if I'm going to let you continue."  _Would she really stop me though?_ I mentally asked myself.

"And?" I prompted her. She rested her head on her arms and looked away from me, clearly sad and conflicted.

"I don't know Light…I really don't know…it feels wrong but if it works then…" She trailed off, insecure. I ignored my displeasure at the fact that she didn't agree with my way wholeheartedly…it was only a matter of time after all.

"I'm sure you'll figure it out…and, even though I no longer have the right to say this, I am here so you don't need to worry." I said, at a lost of what to say to cheer her up. She gave a small, slightly forced smile, seemingly appreciating my attempt. I turned back around and continued writing in the notebook. I thought back on the few days since Naomi Misora's death and wished desperately for things to go back to the way they were before…but all I could do was hope.

It seemed that I would get my wish for she started to act a bit more like her old self the next day, though it was only a minor change. Unfortunately, my battle with L was no longer going as smoothly. We came home from school to an empty house, which was very unusual but what was really strange was that someone had been in my room. I had set up several things that I could use to determine if someone had entered my room; a piece of paper in between the door and the frame, a piece of lead from a mechanical pencil in the hinges and the position of the doorknob. The lead was now on the floor and the knob was out of position but the paper was still in place…someone took the time to put it back, which means that it wasn't my mother or my sister.

I entered the room as normally as possible in case there were any cameras. Clearly Akishi had the same idea as she levitated into my room without a word. I put my school bag down on my desk and grabbed a coat out of the closet before leaving my room. Akishi followed behind me as I left the house. She remained quiet as I checked my coat for bugs. Sure that there were none, I reluctantly looked over at her, waiting for the onslaught of worry from her.

"You told me they wouldn't be able to connect you to Kira anymore but now you have someone going through your stuff. It's like Raye Penber all over again." She glared at me though it was clear that she was more worried than angry. I let out a heavy sigh as I thought about what to do.

"L shouldn't have been able to narrow it down to just me…he must have picked up on something." We walked in silence as we both contemplated what could have lead to this. I looked over at Akishi when she suddenly gasped.

"I know!" She stopped in front of me, prompting me to stop as well. "It was Naomi Misora." I would have reminded her that she was dead but I knew she wouldn't forget that, even though I wanted her to, so I waited for her to explain.

"She said that she had worked with L in the past. L must have suspected something when she went…" she hesitated a moment, "…'missing' and of course the best place to start is to see who her fiancé was investigating, which was you Light." I stared at her in silent astonishment; she was more perceptive than I was at times.

"What?" She asked self-consciously, unnerved by my staring.

"You just amaze me sometimes…that's all." I smiled as I started walking again. I managed to catch a glimpse of Akishi's blushing face before I passed her by. She followed after me in silence for a couple minutes but then she brought up the current issue again.

"What are you going to do?" I made sure to think over my options before responding.

"First, I need to know whether there are any cameras in my room and if there are then I need to know exactly where and what direction each one is facing. Unfortunately, I need to do this while appearing unaware of the cameras." Clearly knowing what I was hinting at, Akishi remained quiet while I waited for her to give some kind of response.  _This is the deciding moment…time to find out how willing she is to help even though she is still unsure about where she stands in all this,_ I thought to myself as I waited anxiously while appearing calm and collected. She kept walking, clearly contemplating what to do.

Akishi's POV:

 _Damn it! I don't know what to do,_ I thought angrily.  _He needs my help…but what he's doing is wrong,_  I reminded myself.  _But he'll be executed if he is caught,_ I thought, more sad than angry. There was no way I was going to let him die prematurely because he had been the one to pick up my Death Note. I knew right then what I was going to do… but I hated myself for it.

"I'll find the cameras for you." I murmured to him. I didn't look over at him but I knew that he would be smiling gratefully at me.

 _What's the point in believing in something if I don't have the strength of will to stick to it?_ I angrily thought, hating myself for being so weak.

Oblivious to the mental battle I had just given up on, Light started to explain his plan to me and I made sure that I heard every word. 

 _If I'm going to go against my beliefs then I'm going to do it right,_  I resolved to myself…but I still hated myself for going along with this plot of his.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please Comment.


	9. First Glance

I forced myself to look at the magazine and not respond to Akishi's constant grumbling as she looked around my room for cameras. She was outraged when she found out what "normal" teenage boys chose to "read" and I had to listen to her grumbling from the moment I picked up the magazine. It was really getting on my nerves but I couldn't say anything since she had found a camera in my air vent. She levitated around my room, checking everywhere, while making sure not to move anything; it really helped that she could phase through objects.

"You know…you're father is probably seeing this." She said suddenly, glancing over at me.  _I know…but I need to do this,_  I mentally responded, not really happy about ruining my image as the "perfect" son.

The search took so long that it was past dinnertime by the time she was done and there had been a message on the television during dinner. The message spoke of how the ICPO had dispatched 1,500 investigators to hunt down Kira…an obvious ruse to get me to react. In the end, she found a total of sixty-four cameras. L clearly suspects me if he is willing to go to such an extent but he won't get anything. I used a miniature television hidden in a potato chip bag to kill criminals while my own television was off and also killed criminals while my own television was on at another time in order to throw the Task Force off. It must have worked since the cameras were gone a couple days later.

"I still can't believe you came up with such a plan." Akishi said as she walked with me on my way to the university, where I was going to be taking my entrance exam. "It was just so crazy of an idea but it worked." She was clearly impressed by my hidden television plan and, honestly, this pleased me; I liked showing off my intelligence to her. I didn't respond to her but she wasn't expecting me to.

We walked the rest of the way in comfortable silence until we parted ways at the college gates. I took my seat in the exam room and waited patiently for the exam to begin. I casually glanced at the test when it was given to me and prepared to start but then…

"Hey you! Number 162…Sit in your seat properly." The examiner suddenly passed me, calling out to one of the test takers behind me. I knew that I shouldn't have but I still turned my head to glance behind me. A few rows back was a man sitting in his chair in the strangest way I've ever seen. His bare feet were clearly seen gripping the edge of the desk, almost like how a bird perches on a branch, and he held his pen with two fingers. The man himself was also strange; he was wearing a baggy white shirt and jeans with his hair sticking up in all directions. I kept my eyes on him for a second longer then he suddenly looked up at me. Those dark eyes peered at me through those unruly bangs and I suddenly couldn't look away. He stared at me so intently…too intently. I don't know how long we stared at each over but eventually one of us looked away and we finished the exam.

Naturally, I got the best scores on the exams but I wasn't the only one…someone else also got all one hundreds. When I heard this I thought back on that day when I first saw that strange man and wondered for a split second if he was the other person. However, I quickly dismissed the thought.


	10. Encounter

It was finally the day to put my plan into action and I was admittedly anxious; I was about to appear in front of someone who kills with just a person's name and face. He wouldn't have my name though and there was no way he could discover it so I was safe to do this. I left and made my way to the university. There were many students walking around and I got a few odd looks as I stepped out of my "fancy" car but I ignored them. I entered the auditorium and found a seat not too far from the front, since I knew that I would be presenting a speech along with Light Yagami.

People gradually filled the seats as it got closer and closer to the time of the ceremony. I immediately spotted Light Yagami among the throngs of people; I kept my eyes on him and saw that he sat in the very front, conveniently next to an empty seat. I continued to watch him as the ceremony started and rose from my seat and made my way to the stage just as Light did when it was time for the freshman representatives to give their speeches. I gave my speech after Light and followed him to his own seat, revealing all that I knew about him along the way. I took the seat next to him. He was clearly wary of me now and I really hooked his attention when I told him there was something important I wanted to tell him.

"I won't tell anyone. What is it?" He asked, acting composed and nonchalant.  _That won't last long,_ I thought, barely holding in my smirk.

"I wanted to tell you that…I'm L." I swear I could see his heart stop at my words. He tried to hide how shaken he was but I could see right through him. He acted polite but I could tell that he wanted to get away from me as soon as possible, which he tried to do as soon as the ceremony was over. I followed behind him from a distance and managed to catch up with him when he made it outside.

"Hi Light." I stopped when someone approached Light and started conversing with him. It was a girl with long black hair but unfortunately I couldn't see her face from where I was standing. I recalled Raye Penber's reports of Light hanging around a girl that fit this one's description and I was interested in seeing what kind of person a genius like Light Yagami spent time with. The two had started walking away so I called out to get their attention.

"Yagami." Light froze, clearly knowing that I was the one calling his name. The girl next to him looked over at Light before turning with him to face me. I was immediately drawn to her single red eye that almost seemed to glow. I vaguely noticed that her other eye was dark, very much like my own, but the red one was what held my attention…it was just so captivating, though I couldn't explain why. I had encountered others with heterochromia before in my investigations but this condition of theirs never got any reaction from me…with her it was different. She looked me over then gave a small smile.

"Has Light made a friend already?" She smiled at Light as she asked this but I could tell that she was actually teasing him and Light didn't seem to take kindly to it as he glared at her. She ignored him and came forward to shake my hand. "My name's Akishi."  _No surname,_  I mentally noted.

"Ryuga Hideki." I gave her my alias easily enough and saw that she had no visible reaction to the name despite the fact it was the name of a famous idol.  _Was she aware that it was an alias or was she not an active follower of idols like many girls were?_  I wondered.

"What was it you wanted Ryuga?" Light interjected.

"I just wanted to say that it was nice meeting you…you too Akishi." I glanced at Akishi, who smiled. "And I guess I'll see you around campus." It was at that moment that Watari pulled up in the car. The appearance of my car drew the attention of the nearby students just like it did before though they were more vocal this time.

"Wow! What a nice car. He must be rich." One boy said to the other, loudly enough for us to hear.

"He's also at the top of the class…what a jerk." The other responded, both glaring at us in their peripheral vision. The words didn't bother me but Akishi had tensed at them and Light took a few steps back from her for some reason. I understood why when Akishi stormed over to the two boys and grabbed them both by the collar. She pulled them forward and practically spat in their faces.

"How dare you!" The two boys paled but were too scared to attempt to flee. "It's bad enough that you are judging him without knowing him but to say such things when you know he can hear you is inexcusable." She shook them slightly to get them to look her in both eyes instead of just her red eye like they had been doing.

"Never do it again! Do I make myself clear?" The two nodded frantically. She glared at them again before releasing them while pushing them back, making them topple over. Akishi turned back around and came our way, ignoring the surprised looks of everyone, including myself.

"Wasn't that a bit excessive?" Light asked her with a sigh, not at all surprised by her actions.

"I don't think so." She replied with a shrug. I stared at the girl, not really sure what to make of her, but I knew now wasn't the time to dwell on her actions. Watari came out of the car and opened the door for me as I made my way over to it.

"I hope to see you guys again." I said. I got a smile from Akishi and a solemn nod from Light before climbing into the car. I glanced at the two as we drove off.

Akishi's POV:

I followed behind Light on our way home, nervously waiting for him to explode. I understood instantly what had happened when I met up with Light at the college; L had revealed himself to Light and this made Light furious for some reason. Honestly, I was nervous to see how he acted when he was this mad. I closed his bedroom door for him and locked it just as he sat down in front of his desk. I flinched when he slammed his fists down onto the desk with a cry of rage.

"He got me!" I wondered what he meant but didn't dare say anything when he was like this. "I've never been so humiliated in my life!" He sat there, steaming silently for a couple minutes.

"What are you going to do about L?" I decided to risk speaking. Light suddenly whirled around to face me.

"How did you know it was him?" He asked.  _It makes sense that he'd ask that…he hasn't told me that it was L yet,_  I thought.

"Think about it Light." I advised him before continuing. "What is the mysterious L's lifestyle most likely like?" He stared at me expectantly, probably wondering where I was going with this. "Probably always in front of a computer, probably a lot of sleepless nights and never really appearing in front of people. How do you think this would affect him?" Light eyes widened as he came to understand what I meant. "Hunched back, bags under his eyes and an unprofessional appearance." I counted off with my fingers. "I wasn't expecting him to look this way but I'm not surprised that he does Light." I didn't mention that the name I saw floating above Ryuga's head also made me think that this was L; I didn't want to encourage him to make the eye deal in any way.

"Incredible." I looked up at Light's words. "I never even considered this…but you did." I blushed at the look of wonder he was giving me.

"So what are you going to do?" I asked, hoping to get him to focus on something else. He looked away as he thought of a plan.

"I'll do nothing for the time being." He eventually said.  _Really?_  I thought with a frown, feeling like he was hiding something again. "He'll be trying to get close to me and I'll let him for now. I will figure something else out in the future." He started to turn back towards his desk.

"Are you going to kill him?" He froze at my question then slowly turned to face me. "Don't hide anything else from me Light." Even I was surprised at how tense and threatening my voice sounded. We stared at each other in tense silence for a few minutes but then he sighed.

"I will kill him eventually." He finally admitted.

"Thought so…" I turned and left his room, angry at his attempt at hiding something from me again. I didn't even bother thinking about what he had told me, as I knew that I wouldn't be able to bring myself to stop him.  _Not that he would even if I tried._


	11. The Match

I thought about my plan to get Light to join the investigation as I waited for him to arrive for our tennis match. I checked my back pocket again to make sure that the copies of Kira's messages were still there. Reassured that they were, I looked back up and saw Light making his way towards me. Akishi was also with him. Seeing the girl again made me think about my recent frustration. I had tried to look up the girl's personal information but was unable to find neither anyone with that name nor anyone fitting her description in the school records. She clearly doesn't go to this college and without knowing her surname I won't be able to find records of her anywhere else. There was also the possibility of her using an alias. It's not that unusual for there to be visitors at the college but the fact that she seemed so close to Light Yagami was what made me suspicious. Mr. Yagami had no knowledge of his son spending time with her either.

 _Why would Light spend time with someone so suspicious? Doesn't he realize how suspicious it makes him seem?_  I wondered.

"Hope I didn't keep you waiting Ryuga." Light said as he finally reached me.

"Not at all."

"Akishi wanted to watch the match, I hope that's okay with you." Light gestured to the girl next to him. She gave me a smile and a greeting. It wouldn't be a problem for her to be there during the match but she couldn't be with us after it. Naturally, I couldn't really say this without explaining why.

"That's fine." I conceded.  _I'll just work something out after the match,_ I figured. "Let's go then." I lead the way to the court.

Akishi's POV:

I stared at L as I walked behind him and Light on the way to the court.  _He had been staring intently at me earlier,_ I thought,  _he probably tried to look up my personal information._  Light and I both knew this would happen…

_"What do we do if he tries to find information on me?"_

_"There's nothing we can do…I don't have the proper skills to create false records."_

_"He'll be even more suspicious though."_

_"I know…that doesn't matter though. He'll never find any real evidence to convict me."_

Despite Light's reassurances, I was still worried but that wasn't anything new. We finally made it to the tennis court, which, thankfully, was empty. I stayed behind the fence as Light and L took their sides and faced each other. L had insisted on serving first, claiming that the one who serves first wins. I watched the two hit the ball back and forth over the net but I wasn't really paying attention to the ball…I was watching them. I don't really know anything about sports but it seemed that something else was going on besides the game. Despite the fact the two were successively sending the ball back, it seemed their thoughts were focused elsewhere...on each other. It was really more a battle of wits than a tennis match.

More and more people started to gather around to watch and I felt some people staring at me as well; no doubt word got around about a girl with one red eye nearly beating up two boys. I frowned at the memory. I hadn't meant to react so violently…I just snapped. But it wasn't something to get so angry over; that anger must have come from something else. Two guys appearing next to me interrupted my musings.

"Hey, is it true you beat up two guys?" One of them asked while leering at me through his sunglasses. I couldn't understand why they would approach me with obviously impure intentions when there were rumors that I had beaten someone up. They must not believe those rumors _._  All three of us jumped when the tennis ball slammed into the fence in front of us. I looked down and watched the ball roll along then looked up. I was instantly swept up in L's smoldering gaze.  _Did he…_? I glanced at Light and saw that he was also glaring at the two guys just like L was.

"Out! Light Yagami wins!" The referee yelled out, letting me know right away that L had been the one to hit the ball. Thankfully, the two guys that had been harassing me had decided to leave after that. Light and L shook hands then came my way, ignoring the cheering of the crowd.

"Are you alright?" Light asked me, concerned. I nodded before turning to L.

"Thank you." I saw Light scowl slightly in my peripheral vision but I ignored him. L paused before nodding in response.

"Now that that's over with, how about we all go get something to eat?" L said after a few seconds of silence. I was about to answer but then I saw the look in Light's eyes. I understood what he wanted me to do.

"Sorry, I have other plans." I said to L.

"Some other time then perhaps."

"Definitely." I said, smiling. I turned and ran off.


	12. The Invitation

I ran out the campus gates and went to find somewhere where I could go intangible without anyone noticing. Thankfully, I found an empty alley not too far away. I summoned my wings while going intangible, ignoring the quick stab of pain from my back like always, and flew up above the buildings to get a clear view of the streets. I flew back towards the university, trying to find Light and L. I found them entering a café not too far away. I waited a few minutes then phased into the building. The two were sitting in a secluded booth in the back. I smiled and nearly laughed at the way L was sitting. He was perched in his chair without any shoes on. I couldn't explain it but it just made me smile. I levitated over to their table and took my place behind Light, making sure to stay high enough above his head so as not to distract him.

"I would like to test your skills of deduction." L said to Light.  _Good, it seems I didn't miss anything important,_  I thought.

"Yeah, that's fine"

"Okay then. I'd like you to take a look at these first." L pulled several photographs from his back pocket and laid them out on the table for Light to see. "These are photos of letters; it's thought that Kira controlled criminals in a prison and had them write these before they died." Light reached for them and held them up to look at them. "I would like to hear your opinions on them." I got closer and looked at the photos over Light's shoulder.

Light had told me about the messages he had criminals write but I had never really seen them. I read the letters, ignoring what was being said for the time being. However, I was drawn back into the conversation when Light mentioned shinigami.

"L, did you know shinigami love apples?" Light read from the letters.  _Shinigami love apples…where did he come up with such a thing?_ I wondered, vaguely recalling a fellow shinigami that did have a strange obsession with apples.  _What a coincidence._

Light went on about the letters but then L suddenly pulled out another one, which messed up the message that Light had originally read. Even I could tell that the fourth was a fake but Light still felt the need to insist that he would have been right if there were just three.

"You came to the conclusion that there were only three notes without considering that there could be a fourth…you were certain that there were only three." L pointed out, suspicion just barely heard beneath the words.

It became clear then that this was no longer just a test of Light's deductive skills. It also didn't help that Light proceeded to get defensive about his conclusion. No matter what he said it was clear that L suspected him.

"Either way they aren't messages that will bring us any closer to Kira. It's not like shinigami really exist." Light said, trying to make L drop the subject. I laughed quietly at his last comment.

"Light, if you were L and were with someone you suspected might be Kira, how would you go about proving it?" L asked, suddenly seeming even more serious. Light leaned back in his chair while sipping at his tea, looking completely composed.

"I'd make them say something that hasn't been broadcasted to the public; something only Kira would know. Like what you're trying to do now." L's expression didn't change but there was a sudden spark in his eyes.

"Your sense of reasoning is amazing. However…my suspicion of you being Kira has gone up by 3% but…" I could tell that Light was displeased but he remained quiet. "I would still like you to join our investigation…even if you are Kira." L stared intently at Light, waiting for some kind of response.

"I'm not Kira," Light said in response, the first of many times no doubt. "However, I do think it is a good idea to help with the investigation but I think you should provide some proof that you are indeed L."

"I am currently working with your father and the others at Headquarters. I can bring you there to speak with them… Would you cooperate then?" Light sat there, clearly surprised. However, L's phone suddenly ringing prevented Light from responding. L pulled out his phone to answer but then Light's started ringing as well. The looks on both of their faces told me that there was bad news.

"Light!" L suddenly called out to him from across the table.

"My father had a heart attack."


	13. Change of Plans

We quickly made our way to the hospital to see how Light's father was doing. It seemed that his heart attack was caused by stress and not by Kira like L and the task force was expecting. I knew that it wasn't Kira that had done it…actually I didn't know for sure at first but I wanted to believe that Light wouldn't do such a thing to his father. I was relieved to see that Light's father had several more years of life left, though not as much as I had hoped. I pitied the man really…his son is Kira yet he is fighting to stop Kira.

"We weren't sure at first but there is no doubt that he is L." Mr. Yagami confirmed Ryuga's identity but it wasn't like Light and I had any doubts. He then asked L if he still suspected Light and unfortunately he still did. L explained why he suspected Light starting with the FBI agents. I felt a flash of bitterness at the mention of the FBI agents that Light had killed.

"Ryuga, I'll cooperate with you on this investigation. I want to catch Kira to prove that I'm not him." Light said to L despite his father's wishes for him to not get involved.

"Light…listen to me." Mr. Yagami suddenly spoke up. "Kira is evil but I've been thinking that what is truly evil is the power to kill people. No true happiness can be obtained like that and any person who comes to possess this kind of power is cursed."

 _He's…he's right,_  I thought solemnly. I looked at Light, regretting this whole thing again but this time because of what this could do to Light.  _He wouldn't listen to me though would he?_  It was at that time that a nurse came in to escort us out. L went to leave the moment we left the hospital but Light stopped him from leaving.

"I know I said I would help with the investigation but I meant after my father gets better."

"Of course. See you around then." The car drove off then, leaving Light and me alone. Light stared after the car then he started talking to me without looking at me.

"I've never saw the Death Note as a curse or anything like that."  _But you should,_  I thought without giving any verbal response.

Light's POV:

The next day happened just like any other but then…Sakura TV aired a special message from Kira.

"Basically, we are Kira's hostages." I immediately turned to see Akishi's reaction to all of this. She was staring at the screen blankly but there was clear upset stirring just beneath the surface.

"Light?" She spoke softly while glancing at me with questioning eyes.

"It's not me." She grimaced.

"That's what I thought." We were both thinking the same thing; there's another person with a notebook _._  Akishi flinched and stared in horror as a police officer that had arrived at the station fell over dead.  _He has the shinigami eyes too…this could be a great asset or a great hindrance._

"Don't worry…" I reassured her, knowing exactly what she was feeling and thinking. I wrapped my arms around her and pulled her back into my chest, hugging her from behind. I never took my eyes off the screen though and continued to watch over the top of her head.

"I'll find this person and make sure that there aren't any more unnecessary sacrifices." She leaned back into my embrace and locked her arms over mine. She said nothing as she continued to watch with me.


	14. Terror and Heartache

A couple days later Light met up with the task force and L in order to help with the investigation and Light had me come with him, while intangible of course. They had him listen to the confiscated recordings from Sakura TV and give his opinion on them.

"There may be more than one person with Kira's power." The task force members, except L, all gasped at Light's words.

"What do you mean?" One of them asked.

"There's a good chance that this is not the Kira we've known up to now." Light clarified, rather needlessly in my opinion.

"It's exactly the same deduction that L…I mean Ryuzaki has made." The youngest member, Matsuda, said while staring at Light in awe. Everyone was busy staring at Light but I was staring at L.  _He noticed that it was a different Kira…amazing._

The plan L came up with to stop the Second Kira was to create a message while posing as the real Kira. Unfortunately, he wanted Light to play the part as Kira. Light didn't really have a choice so he went along with it. The message was aired and surprisingly, or maybe not so surprisingly, we got a response several days later.

"Kira, thank you for your reply. I promise to do as you say." Even I was surprised that the Second Kira believed that message to be from the original.  _Not very smart is he?_

"I want to meet you. I don't think you have the eyes…but I won't try to kill you." I tensed at the mention of the shinigami eyes. _Not very smart…more like a complete idiot,_ I thought,  _What is he thinking talking about the eyes on live television…even if nobody will really understand what that's about?_

"Please tell where we can meet where the police won't be able to interfere. When we meet, we can confirm our identities by showing our shinigami to each other." There was another series of gasps then…

"AAAAHHHHH!" L threw his hands up, screaming in terror. Eventually his scream got caught in his throat and he fell from his chair with the chair crashing down after him. The members of the task force gathered around him, worried that he was having a heart attack but he didn't seem to see or hear them. I stood behind the group, worried as well but a feeling of dread kept me from getting closer. L sat up and stared at the screen in terror.

"Shinigami…am I supposed to believe in such a thing?" I felt a stab in my heart at how those words were spoken with such fear. The men seemed to think that L's reaction was over the top but not me; that is the normal response. The thought that there was a being able to kill you from another realm just because it wanted to would terrify anyone. I had never witnessed this reaction before though until now; not even Light was this terrified upon first meeting me because he had been expecting it.

 _He's terrified…absolutely terrified,_  I thought, frozen in place. I had known that I should never let anyone else know I was a shinigami, especially L, because then they would use that fact against Light but…I never thought about how anyone would really react to it. Seeing L so terrified really hammered in the fact that I couldn't let him ever know. If he ever knew what I was then he would fear me too and may even despise me and for some reason…the thought of that happening caused a slight twinge in my chest.


	15. The Second Kira

Less than a week later we received another message from the Second Kira. This time it was a series of diary entries. My eyes instantly zoomed in on the last entry that spoke of confirming shinigami at the Tokyo Dome on May 30th.

 _Would he really be so stupid to show up after announcing that he would?_  I wondered, hoping desperately that he wasn't.  _He would need to touch my notebook in order to see Akishi so how would he manage that?_  A previous entry suddenly caught my eye.  _My friend and I showed off our notebooks in Aoyama on the_ 22nd _,_ I read it silently to myself.  _Notebooks…Death Note…That must be it…that's where he wants to meet._

Unfortunately, L, being as perceptive as he is, decided to investigate all the places in the entries, which included Aoyama. L had us air a response as Kira saying that he understood the message and that he would meet the Second Kira there. I had to be there to make sure that the Second Kira wasn't caught or at least that his Death Note wasn't confiscated so I volunteered to go to Aoyama with Matsuda on the 22nd. I could tell that that made L even more suspicious but there wasn't really anything I could do about that. I scheduled a time to meet up with Matsuda on the 22nd then made my way home.

"What exactly do you plan to do in Aoyama?" Akishi asked me once we were safely in my room.

"All I can really do is keep my eye out for anyone who has a Death Note and hopefully take it from them before they get arrested." I turned my computer on and searched the 22nd, Aoyama and notebook, just to be sure, and saw that there was a concert at a club called the Note Blue.  _He actually put some thought into this…maybe he's not as stupid as I thought._  I turned around and looked at Akishi when she suddenly asked a question.

"What about me Light? The other shinigami will see me and might tell the Second Kira."  _That's a good point,_  I thought as I contemplated how to get around that.  _It would be a great help to have her there to look for the other shinigami but I can't have them know who she is attached to and I can't just have her show up at Aoyama without L being suspicious so that means…_

"You'll stay here…but just in case…" I pulled my cell phone out and began calling up some classmates of mine. Akishi listened in and smiled as she realized what I planned to do. The 22nd finally came and I surprised Matsuda by having a group of classmates join us as we went around Aoyama. I realized that I could have just had Akishi trail behind the group while intangible but I felt that it was still too high of a risk. During our time there I kept my eyes on the door of the Note Blue. However, no one of real interest went in or out of the club. I started to wonder if the person really meant for us to meet at the Tokyo Dome but then…

"I have found Kira. I would like to thank the police and those at the TV stations." We received another videotape containing this message only three days later.  _He must have seen me at Aoyama…but how?_ That damn L decided to have the police offer leniency to the Second Kira in exchange for Kira's identity. I had no way of knowing how the Second Kira would react to that.

Later that day I stood in my room watching the message from the police on the TV. I kept thinking about what I should do about the second Kira but it was hard to come up with anything as the guy was too unpredictable.

"Light! There's someone here to see you!" I heard Sayu call out to me. I glanced at my clock and saw that it was pretty late.  _Who would be here at this time,_  I wondered as I made my way out of my room. My mother and sister were waiting for me at the foot of the stairs with anxious looks on their faces. Suddenly nervous about what I would find, I told them to wait there and stepped outside the front door. I closed the door behind me and turned to face the visitor. I found a somewhat petite blonde woman in dark clothing waiting for me. I watched her quietly, waiting for her to tell me why she was here. She bowed suddenly.

"Hello I'm Misa Amane. I thought you might be worried if you were watching TV so I brought you…" She reached back and pulled something from her bag. Recognizing the black notebook, I froze. "This notebook." She finished, holding the book out for me to touch. Despite knowing what would happen if I touched it, I was still hesitant to do so. I looked up after touching the notebook and saw a figure in shadow suddenly towering over the girl from behind. I knew then without a doubt that she was the second Kira. I had no real choice but to invite her up to my room.

"I'm surprised at you Light…bringing a girl into your room with me here-" Akishi stopped teasing me when she saw the shinigami accompanying the girl. "Rem?" I stared at Akishi, surprised that she knew the shinigami, even though I knew I shouldn't have been. The shinigami Rem stared at Akishi in confusion but then gasped.

"You? How do you look like that?" The other shinigami, Rem, was now staring at her in shocked bemusement. Misa stared at Rem, confused as she couldn't see Akishi. Akishi didn't explain, she just continued to stare at Rem with focused eyes.

"You still have your notebook." She finally said before turning to look at Misa. "Then the one she has belongs to…" She trailed, seemingly reluctant to finish her sentence.

"Gelus." Rem said.

"I see." Akishi turned away, looking sad. The two said nothing more so I thought it best to focus on Misa.

"Go ahead and take a seat." I gestured to the chair at my desk and took a seat on the bed. She gingerly took the seat and looked up at me, waiting for me to speak first.

"How did you find me?" I eventually asked, ignoring how Akishi peered over my shoulder at the girl.

"Ah so you haven't made the deal." She said.  _She means the eye deal?_ "If you have the eyes of a shinigami, you can see people's names and life-spans but you can't see the lifespan of anyone who owns a notebook." She explained.

"What?" I heard Akishi exclaim behind me. "I'm so sorry Light, I didn't know."  _I figured that was why she hadn't mentioned it_ , I thought, waving back at her to let her know that I wasn't upset. The girl, Misa, went on to tell me about how she had seen me at Aoyama and about the precautions she took so she wouldn't be recognized.

"I will be your eyes and get L's name for you." She said, startling me slightly with how threatening she suddenly seemed. "So…" She suddenly hesitated and looked down.

"What?"

"Please make me your girlfriend." She suddenly blurted out, blushing but overall confident.

"What? Girlfriend?" Akishi burst out laughing behind me.

"Women really love you, don't they?" I ignored her and focused my attention on the blonde sitting across from me.

"That's impossible." I used every reasonable excuse I could come up with, such as how she could connect me to Kira, but the girl would not be deterred. She suddenly offered to have me hold the Death Note for her so she would be unable to kill me, clearly desperate to have me trust her. I pointed out that she could have pages hidden on her and she became very emotional. She begged me to trust her and let her help. I just had to ask why and her response wasn't what I expected.

"Kira killed the man who murdered my parents…Kira is my savior." Her knees gave out and she gently fell to the floor. "I just wanted to show my thanks and be of some use to you." She started to silently cry then while still on her knees.

 _Her eyes can be of great use to me and she's willing to obey me…it would be a real shame not to take advantage of this opportunity,_ I thought. Using my superior acting skills I managed to convince her that I was grateful for what she did and told her that I would at least pretend to be her boyfriend. I could feel Akishi's disapproving gaze but she said nothing, probably realizing that she couldn't convince me to change my plans.

"Can you show me your shinigami now?" Misa asked, sounding way too innocent considering the subject.

"Alright." I reached back to grab the piece of Death Note from my wallet, which was in my back pocket.

"No." At those words, I stopped with my hand on my wallet. I turned around and looked at Akishi, wondering about her sudden objection. "No…I don't want her to see me." She said, ignoring the glare Rem was giving her.  _What's her problem?_

"Sorry, it seems my shinigami is being a little difficult at the moment." I told Misa.

"I see…next time I guess." Misa said, not really sounding disappointed. Misa randomly went on to tell me about how a shinigami can be killed, which was very interesting information, and I couldn't help but wonder if Akishi knew about this. She told me about the shinigami eyes and I told her about how things were going with L and the Task Force. Things were going well but she went ballistic when I mentioned that I would have to date other girls in order to throw off suspicion.

"If I see you with another girl then I'll kill her."  _Whoa…I really need to watch out for her_. She wouldn't listen to me no matter what I said so I had no choice but to threaten her with the Death Note but then…

"I won't let you kill her, Light Yagami." Rem suddenly spoke, towering over Misa and me. "If I see that you are about to kill her or if she dies before she is meant to then I will kill you."  _That would mean her death though,_  I thought, wondering if the shinigami was really serious. Akishi suddenly stood between Rem and me, glaring her down despite the severe difference in height. She didn't say anything but it was clear that she would not let Rem kill me so easily.  _But shinigami can't kill each other so what could she possibly do?_  Rem looked down into Akishi's eyes and stepped away but didn't take back her threat. My mother knocked on the door right then and suggested that Misa head home. I was relieved to see her run off down the street.

"Why didn't you want to show yourself to her?" I asked Akishi once I was back in my room. "She'll no doubt see you at some point."

"I know…I understand that my reaction was both childish and unreasonable but…I don't like her."

"Why don't you like her?" I asked.

"She killed people, both guilty and innocent, just so she could meet Kira…what an awful, selfish reason to kill." She said, anger and bitterness clear in her voice. "I can't forgive such a thing."

"I understand but we need her." I reminded her.

"I know." She said sadly, leaving the room for the first time in a long while.


	16. An Unpleasant Turn of Events

I looked up Misa Amane on the Internet and found that she was a famous model.  _That's going to draw a lot of attention._  I glanced at some of her pictures with disinterest.  _I don't see what everyone likes about her…Akishi is definitely more attractive._  

I paused at that last thought but didn't deny that it was true. The real issue was what to do about Misa. 

_I'll have to watch over her to make sure she doesn't get arrested but I don't want to have to do that forever but…that shinigami won't let me get rid of her…I guess I'll just focus on using her for the time being._

After school the next day I eagerly went to meet up with the Task Force, ditching the "famous" Kiyomi Takada at the gate, to see L's reaction to the message I had Misa send out…it wasn't what I was hoping it would be.

"I believe the two Kiras have joined forces."  _Damn him,_  I thought, glaring at him from my place behind his chair. He continued on and ultimately said something that shocked everyone in the room, including Akishi and myself.

"Light is the first friend I've ever had."

I saw Akishi reel back next to me as if physically hit. I put on a friendly smile and told L that he was also my friend when really all I wanted to do was roll my eyes at his obvious attempt at manipulating me into feeling guilty about wanting to kill him.

Akishi was quiet on the way back from the meeting, no doubt mulling over L's claim of my being his friend. I glanced at her sad, contemplative face and sighed.

Something suddenly ran into me from behind and knocked me over. It turned out to be Misa.  _What the hell is she doing?_   _She shouldn't be anywhere near my house or me._ I resisted the urge to hit her and managed to wait patiently till we were in my room to scold her. She apologized but I had the feeling it would happen again. Disregarding that for the moment, I turned to Rem.

"You want Misa to be happy?" I asked the shinigami, knowing the answer.

"Yes."

"She's happy with me but the only way we can stay together is if L is dead." Misa seemed to understand what I wanted her to say as she turned to face Rem and asked her to kill L for us. We got no response so I resigned myself to finding another way but then…

"Alright…I will kill L for you." Rem finally said. Misa became ecstatic and went forward to hug the creature. I just stood there in shock.  _L will die…this easily?_  I made sure to tell Rem to not kill L until I tell her to and then sent Misa on her way after she gave me one of her cell phones so we could keep in contact. I turned to talk to Akishi but she was no longer in the room.

L's POV:

I sat on a bench at the campus, waiting for Light to come by. I held a book in front of my face as I thought back to my recent order to arrest Light if something were to happen to me, which I felt was very possible, and about the new evidence we found on the Second Kira.

"Hi Ryuga." I lowered the book I wasn't even reading and looked up. Akishi was standing in front of me with her usual smile.

"Hello Akishi. I assume you are here to see Light." She nodded and took a seat next to me.

"You too, right?" I stared at her, wondering why she came to that conclusion first and whether I should be even more wary of her. She just smiled as she waited for my response, seemingly undisturbed by my silent stare.

"Indeed I am." I said, trying to appear casual. She nodded and looked up at the leaves that were providing us shade. The sunlight peeked out from behind the leaves and landed on her face in an interesting pattern. Suddenly unable to look away, I watched as the light danced across her face with the breeze. She must have noticed my staring as she looked at me questioningly. Having nothing to say, I turned back to my book and she turned to look at the people walking by. It wasn't long before Light came our way with Kiyomi Takada by his side. Light stopped walking when he saw us.

"Hey Light! How's it going?" I called out with an over the top wave, trying to seem friendly and eager. I heard Akishi chuckle next to me but kept my eyes on Light who was frowning at me. Light said goodbye to Kiyomi and approached us with slightly hurried steps.

"What's going on here?" He asked casually but there was a bit of anger in his tone that he failed to conceal.

"We were waiting for you." Akishi said, getting off the bench.

"That's right and now that you're here, how about we all go and get some cake from the cafeteria?" I said as I slipped my shoes on.

"Sounds good." Akishi said. We both looked at Light, waiting for him to say something.

"Sure…why not?" He eventually said with a forced smile. We started walking but we didn't make it very far before someone ran up to us.

"Light! There you are!" I recognized her instantly as Misa Amane, the person I suspected of being the Second Kira. She noticed Akishi and me and came forward to introduce herself.

"Hi. I'm Misa Amane, Light's girlfriend." I hid my nervousness as her eyes roamed over my face. She glanced at Akishi and her attention seemed to linger on her longer. Light suddenly stepped forward and introduced us to her. I saw Akishi suddenly smirk and wondered what she was about to do.

"But Light…" We all looked over at Akishi when she said this. "I thought I was your girlfriend." She pouted in an overly exaggerated manner with an uncharacteristic whine. Intrigued, I watched intently as Light paled. Misa's face darkened to an agitated red and she turned a glare on Light.

"What?" She started questioning him, clearly outraged but I ignored them in favor of observing Akishi. She stood there watching, with obvious amusement and triumph, as Light tried to calm the other girl down.

"It seems I have been misinformed about your relationship with Light." I said to her. She glanced at me then looked back at the two, who were too involved in their argument to hear us.

"We're not dating…I just said that as payback for something Light had said to me earlier."

"Might I ask what Light said to you?" I honestly wanted to know for it seemed like a pretty bad punishment if not a cruel one. Akishi just shook her head with small smile, letting me know that she wasn't going to tell me. We watched the two a couple more minutes but I decided that it was time to ask Akishi something I had been wondering about for a while.

"Akishi, might I ask you something?" She looked my way and nodded. "What exactly do you think about Kira?" She gave me a serious look then turned her gaze up towards the sky and not at Light like I was secretly hoping.

"I think Kira had good intentions but I think that whatever power he possesses could go to his head…if it hasn't already."  _I had never really considered that,_ I thought.

"That's an interesting idea…but do you support him?" She sighed and gave me a sad look.

"You make it sound like such a simple question…but it's not." She turned and started walking away.

"I thought you were waiting for Light."

"I was but…I don't feel like waiting anymore." I wondered why she sounded so defeated and sad but I thought it best to not leave my two suspects alone so I couldn't follow and ask. I looked back at Light and saw that he had finally managed to calm Misa down. Someone suddenly called out.

"Is that Misa Misa?" That got everyone's attention and a swarm of people gathered around the girl. Seeing this as my chance, I came up behind her and quickly grabbed her phone from her bag while making sure to touch her behind. I hid the phone in my pocket just as she turned around, shrieking, I played innocent and said I would find whoever took advantage of the situation. Thankfully, her manager showed up and dragged her away. Now I was finally alone with Light.

"Light…" I called to get his attention. "I thought it only fair to tell you that I have told the task force to assume that you are Kira if something happens to me."

"I already told you that I'm not Kira." He gave me his usual scowl.

"Well then…let's hope nothing happens to me then." I said. I felt my phone vibrate so I pulled it out to answer it.

"Ryuzaki…we've managed to apprehend Misa Amane."

"I see…good work." I hung up and faced Light. "I'm not really sure how you'll react to this but…we've just apprehended Misa Amane on suspicion of being the Second Kira." Light didn't even attempt to hide his shock. I told him about the fibers and hair we found on the tape used on the envelopes the Second Kira sent the messages in and asked him to not tell anyone about this.  _Not that he would._

I left him there, still standing there in shock, and went back to my hotel room to see how things were going with Misa. My conversation with Akishi and her lack of a definite answer were temporarily forgotten.


	17. Confinement

"We need to do something before Misa starts talking." I paced back and forth in my room with Akishi watching me from my bed.

"She won't talk." I stopped pacing and looked over at her.

"What makes you so sure?"

"Misa is clearly too devoted to you to betray you." Rem suddenly phasing into the room kept me from arguing with her.

"Misa has given up ownership of her Death Note along with her memories of it. She no longer remembers that you are Kira. She even begged me to kill her before giving up ownership because she wants nothing more than to be loved by you."

 _That's never going to happen,_ I thought with certainty. I tensed slightly as Rem came forward to loom over me.

"If you don't save Misa, I will kill you."  _She really means it and there's no guarantee that Akishi will be able to stop her…I'll have to do what she says for now._ I was already coming up with a plan but first…

"Akishi…" I turned to face her. The deadly glare she was giving Rem softened as she directed her attention towards me. "Exactly which memories will I lose if I give up ownership?" She leaned back a bit in surprise but answered without question.

"All memories of the Death Note and my being a shinigami."

"That's all?" I had a bad feeling that there was more and the look on her face proved me right.

"You will have memories of the time we spent together while I was in human form but…any time I used the abilities of a shinigami such as levitation and intangibility will be forgotten."  _But…that's most of the time we spent together,_ I thought as I stared at her with wide eyes. I had her be intangible even when we were alone in the house just in case someone came home early but I now regretted being so cautious.

"I see…" Knowing this, I was very reluctant to go through with my plan but I couldn't afford not to.

"You'll feel like you've known me longer even though you don't have any memories to support those feelings though." She said, possibly attempting to comfort me.

 _I'm not sure if that makes it any better…that'll probably just complicate things._  I took a deep breath and explained my plan to Akishi and Rem. They were both surprised by my plan but offered no protest. "We'll keep Akishi's notebook here in my room where only she can reach it and…wait…we're one short."

"What do you mean?"

"There aren't enough Death Notes for my plan." I tried to modify my plan in my mind but it was proving difficult.

"I know a shinigami that would be willing to help with the plan." Akishi said, suddenly next to me. She didn't look very pleased, making me wonder about this shinigami.

"Would this shinigami follow my instructions?"

"He would do just about anything as long as he gets some apples in return."

"Apples?" I stared at her in disbelief but she just nodded, seemingly unaware of the look I was giving her.

"He is the only option." Rem agreed, apparently knowing whom Akishi was talking about.

"Fine." I conceded. "Could you please retrieve him?" Rem nodded and left. I waited till I was sure she was gone before turning towards Akishi.

"Akishi…" She looked over at me, curious. "I'm almost certain that I'll get my memories back but if I don't then…I'm sorry for not-" I literally forgot what I was going to say as she suddenly leaned forward and gently pressed her lips against my cheek. It was only for a second but I still felt warmth spread through me from her touch. She covered the spot with her hand and gazed unwaveringly into my eyes. Overwhelmed by a new feeling, all I could do was whisper her name. She slowly caressed my cheek then stepped away just as Rem returned. Rem's reappearance was thankfully enough to snap me out of whatever trance I was in.

"I informed him of the plan on the way back and he agreed to help." Rem said to me.

"Good." I asked the new shinigami to drop his notebook and picked it up once it was on the ground. The shinigami introduced himself as Ryuk once I was able to see him and did indeed demand apples for his services, which I easily agreed to. I wondered about the smirk he sent Akishi's way but she seemed intent on ignoring him so I didn't ask. Now having everything that I needed, I started preparing my plan.

I decided to let Akishi stay behind in my room as I made my way to headquarters to start my plan, only after she reassured me that she could easily find me on her own no matter where I was taken. At headquarters, I confessed to the task force that I believed I could be Kira and L had me confined, despite my father's claims of my being innocent. Akishi came into my cell everyday, waiting for my signal to erase my memories, which I gave after a week.

"Goodbye Light." She whispered into my ear as she started disappearing before my eyes. I wanted so desperately to return the favor but the camera trained on me made that impossible. I closed my eyes as my memories faded, wondering if that would be the last time I'd ever see her...then the memory of her goodbye faded away like all the others.

L's POV:

Kira's killings had started again even though Light and Misa were confined and the two were experiencing some form of memory loss.  _There's no doubt that the two had acted as Kira but now they have no memory of doing so…could they have been under the control of another Kira._  I watched the two even after the other members had gone to bed. I wasn't even sure what I was looking for anymore…was it something I had missed or something new? Whatever it was, my efforts paid off.

"Akishi." Light mumbled in his sleep.  _Akishi…why hadn't I thought about this before?_  I had been so immersed in my suspicion of Light and Misa that I had forgotten my misgivings towards Akishi.  _She could be the one killing as Kira._  My instincts were telling me that there was more though and I had a pretty good idea of how to find out. In the morning before the other members returned, I started speaking to Light.

"I have a question for you Light." He looked up at the camera but didn't say anything. "How exactly did you meet Akishi?"

"What does that have to do with anything?" Light asked, already getting defensive.

"Just answer please." He frowned.

"I met her…" He trailed off, looking uncertain. "I don't remember." He confessed after a couple seconds of silence.

"I see."  _Why would Light forget how he met Akishi along with his actions as Kira? They must be connected._  I knew then what I had to do. It was then that the others entered the room.

"Mr. Mogi." They all stopped and stared at me even though I had only called out to one of them.

"Yes, Ryuzaki." Mogi stepped forward, awaiting my orders.

"There's someone else I need you to apprehend."


	18. Interrogation

I made sure to follow Light's instructions exactly while he was confined: I showed up at his house on his third day to ask about him, went to the college every now and then to "look" for him and spent every other day in the cell with him since I didn't know when he would relinquish ownership. I knew that I could have spent the night elsewhere but it didn't seem right to stay in his room when he wasn't there. It was strange to be with him and not have any words pass between us but I didn't want to say anything, afraid I might cause some visible reaction.

I no longer stayed with him though after he gave up ownership…honestly, I was afraid to see what he was like without his memories. 

 _Just how much has the Death Note changed him?_  I wondered but hoped to never know.

I walked around the college campus one last time then started to make my way towards the gate. Light said I should go into hiding about two weeks after he gave up his memories but I should be seen around campus until that point so no one would wonder why I disappeared around the same time as Light. Today was the last day and I actually found myself a bit reluctant to go into hiding; I really enjoyed "living" as a human.

_It's a shame but I can't afford to go against Light's plans._

I let out a great sigh as I finally left the campus grounds. The sound of a car skidding to a stop nearby made me stop but someone suddenly grabbing hold of me from behind prevented me from turning to look.

"You're under arrest." I recognized the voice as one of the members of the task force so I didn't struggle as he put handcuffs on me and pushed me into a van. 

 _It seems L has decided to investigate me_ , I thought as I sat quietly in the seat.  _He's lucky…_ a _few minutes later and he wouldn't have been able to find me at all._

It was a long ride but I barely noticed, I was too focused on how I would respond to L's questions. I was a pretty good actor at times but my lying skills were nowhere near as good as Light's. I was placed in a cell much like Light's and was soon subjected to L's questions.

"You're a hard person to find, Miss Akishi." L's voice was disguised but since I had heard the real thing I could hear his true voice beneath all the modifications. I shrugged in response to his statement. "You're probably wondering why you are here and who I am." I nodded but just for show of course as I knew exactly what was going on. "You are here because I believe you are connected to Kira in some way if not killing as Kira."

"You are L then?" I asked calmly.

"Indeed I am."

"It's a honor to meet you." I sent the camera a cheeky grin. "Even if it's not face-to-face."

L's POV:

The interrogation wasn't going as well as I had hoped it would. Akishi did answer questions but refused to reveal her full name as well as where she lived…she didn't even have a cell phone on her. She confessed that she knew how suspicious that made her seem but she still didn't reveal anything.

"With Kira going around killing people, can you really blame me for not wanting to use my name?" Her excuse was pretty weak and it seemed even she noticed how weak it was but still stuck with it.  _The truth must be pretty incriminating if she's deciding to stick with such an obvious lie._  I thought back on Light's memory loss and decided to ask her how she met Light to see if she had the same trouble remembering.

"He found something of mine and went out of his way to return it to me. We talked for awhile and became fast friends."  _She remembers…but Light doesn't…what could that mean?_  

"I assume this information is relevant in some way." She said, clearly fishing for an explanation.

"His father is working on the case and I've heard a lot about his son…I was just curious." I said, deciding not to mention that I had Light confined as well. "You haven't denied being connected to Kira." She shrugged her shoulders.

"You clearly must have some evidence proving that I am so there would be no point in denying it even though I am innocent. The truth will be proven eventually." I frowned at her response but I had to go back to the other members so I left it at that.

Akishi's POV:

I tried to get comfortable after L ended the conversation but it was proving to be difficult, I still tried though.  _I'm probably going to be here for a while._

I thought back on the interrogation I had just gone through and my decision to use the lie Light made up if ever asked how he had met me.  _Light most likely doesn't remember the lie or how we met but there's no way I could keep up an act of not remembering…maybe it's better this way. Should I have L suspect me more than Light?_ I decided to just go along with whatever happens.  _I'm probably already suspicious enough as it is_.

Days passed and that damn twitch had started to come back. It seemed being confined to a cell for who knows how long was just as bad as being in the shinigami realm with nothing to do. I refused to give in though. I did everything I could to hold off that madness. I thought of Light's plans, guessed how the investigation was going and even hummed quietly to myself but it was no use. I had only one option left and that was to submerge myself in my memories again. It wouldn't work for long but maybe it would be just long enough. It was my last resort this time instead of my first, as I had a hard time getting out of that state once in it. I needed to be aware in case L had more questions and I needed to eat the food that was brought to me in order to appear human. I had no choice though. I let myself slip away and was immediately lost in my memories.


	19. Face-to-Face

It had been several weeks since Light and Misa's confinement and the killings were still going on even with the confinement of Akishi. 

 _Something must be done…they are at their limits,_ I thought as I observed Light, Misa and Mr. Yagami, who insisted on being confined like his son. I came up with a test to see if Light and Misa still had Kira's killing power. I had Mr. Yagami drive them to an isolated area and fire a blank at his son.

If Light had been Kira, he would not have hesitated to kill his own father and Misa would have done anything to keep Light safe. Mr. Yagami survived the incident so I had no choice but to release them from their confinement but that didn't mean that they were clear of suspicion. I was unfortunately unable to come up with a test for Akishi. However, I believed that she was not the one doing the killing though I still believed that she was at least aware of Light being Kira. I was preparing to have everyone move to the special headquarters I had built specifically for the case when Watari's voice suddenly came through my computer.

"Ryuzaki."

"What is it Watari?" I was worried by the slight urgency in his voice.

"Miss Akishi has stopped eating." 

 _Stopped eating?_  I switched to the fourth camera and saw her sitting in the corner, staring at the wall across from her. I pressed the button on the microphone and called out to her. She didn't reply and there wasn't any body movement that showed that she heard me.  _This isn't good,_  I thought nibbling on my thumbnail.

"How long has she been like this?" I asked, noting the blank look on her face.

"Over a week." 

 _Over a week…that's longer than it was with Misa._  I recalled when Misa had stopped eating for a while but we eventually got her to eat again. She had never looked like Akishi did now.

"Meet me at the cell." I got up and quickly made my way to where Akishi was confined. There was no response to my presence. Watari came and unlocked the door so I could make my way over to her. I slowly took hold of her shoulders and gently shook her.  _Still no reaction,_ I thought, a feeling of dread settling in my stomach. Worried, I checked her pulse but found that she was still alive. That didn't ease my worry though.

"We're moving her." Watari came over and helped me carry her to the infirmary. I was so glad that Light had left the infirmary with Misa a couple days ago so I didn't need to explain Akishi's state to him. We carefully placed her onto one of the beds and removed the cuffs so she would be able to rest comfortably. Watari went about checking her condition and found that, despite having not eaten in a long time, she was in very good condition.

 _So it's just her mental state that we have to worry about…that's going to be harder to deal with._  Looking down at her blank expression and motionless body, I couldn't help but feel responsible and guilty for her state. I reached forward and closed her eyes, thinking maybe I could convince myself that she was sleeping instead of whatever this was. Watari left to keep an eye on Light and Misa while I stayed to try and get some kind of reaction from the girl.

Akishi's POV:

 _"I promise."_ _**"I love you."** _ _"I won't surrender."_ _**"Don't leave."** _ _"Goodbye, Naomi Misora." "New world."_ _"AAAAHHHHH!"  _ _"Sacrifices." **"Please never forget."**_ _"I'm sorry." **"I'm grateful."**  In vain." "You're amazing." _ " _Sentence to death." "I'm here." _ _**"Please…kill me."** _ _"Don't cry."_

_"My first friend."_

_"I will kill him."_

I let out a loud gasp as I was violently thrust back to reality, the last two memories still clear in my mind along with the horrible realization that I had reached.  _There was some sincerity when L said that Light was his first friend and I know Light means to kill him so that means…L will be killed by the person he sees as his first friend._  I felt tears form at the thought but I somehow managed to prevent them from falling.

"You're awake." A familiar voice said, sounding very relieved but subtly so. I glanced to the side and saw L perched in the chair by my bedside…wait bedside? I sat up slightly to look around and saw that I was no longer in my cell. It seemed my state had prompted L to end my confinement. I hoped I wasn't caught in that state long enough for it to be suspicious.

"You were unconscious for almost two weeks." L informed me. I fell back onto the pillow with a sigh, feeling very worn out. "You don't seem worried or surprised."  _Figures he'd be observing me even now._

"It happens sometimes…it's not really anything to worry about." I told him, hoping he wouldn't question me further but knew that he wouldn't let it go so easily.

"I beg to differ." He sounded a lot like a parent scolding a child but I saw that he had actually been worried about me. I thought it best to quickly change the subject and I knew just what to change it to.

"I guess you felt it was safe to show your face to me…L." I said with a soft, teasing smile. He tensed then sighed.

"There's no point in denying it at this point."

"Light's here too, isn't he?" I asked.

"Indeed he is. May I ask how you made that assumption?"

"You disappeared around the same time as him and I can't think of any other reason why the great detective L would reveal himself to a student unless he was connected to the Kira case in some way."

"He is a suspect at this point in time along with Misa Amane."

"It's no wonder you sought me out as well." He nodded. We were both silent for a couple seconds then he spoke up again.

"I have decided to end your confinement but you will have to stay at headquarters just like Light and Misa. While you are here I believe it would be best that you help with the investigation."

"You want my help?" I was honestly surprised.  _What use could I be? There are already two geniuses working on the case._  I guess I have no choice…I can't leave the headquarters anyway so it will give me something to do. I opened my mouth to reply but the door suddenly opened before I could respond.

"Ryuzaki, are you in here?" I froze as Light peeked into the room. I was nowhere near ready to face him yet. Just by looking at his eyes, I could tell that he was different without his memories. Light spotted me and looked back and forth between L and me.

"Ryuzaki." He practically snarled as he stepped into the room, glaring at L "What is going on here? What is Akishi doing here?" Sensing an upcoming fight, I spoke up before L could make it worse.

"I'm here because Ryuzaki had invited me to join the investigation but I felt I little light-headed so he let me rest for a while." Light looked at me, judging whether I was forced to say that but ultimately fell for my lie.  _He really is different…the Light I know would not have been so trusting._

"You're okay now right?" He asked, worried.

"I'm fine." I forced a smile, still unnerved by how different he was. He left a few minutes later after I reassured him one more time that I was fine. L turned to me once he was gone.

"So you accept the offer?" I nodded even though I was very reluctant to be around this new Light. 

_I really don't have much of a choice._


	20. Meeting the Team

"Tell me again why we're here." Aizawa's brow twitched as he said this, showing just how annoyed he was.

"Because Ryuzaki asked us to buy some things." Matsuda replied happily as he went around the store.

"That doesn't explain why we're buying women's clothes!" Aizawa said loudly, throwing his arm out in the direction of the racks of clothes. A woman gave him a strange look but looked away when he glared at her.

"I'm sure he has his reasons." Matsuda cheerfully went from one rack to another, grabbing shirts, pants and dresses that fit the sizes L had provided them with. Aizawa growled as he reluctantly followed behind the man, wondering why he had to do this with Matsuda of all people. Aizawa dragged Matsuda away from the store a little while later before he bought too much and made his way back to headquarters.

"We're back!" Matsuda called out cheerfully. He ran over to L and handed him the shopping bags while Aizawa flopped down onto the couch.

"Sorry for the trouble." L handed the bags to Watari who left the room with them.

"Don't worry about it…It was fun." Matsuda gave him a huge smile.

"For you." Aizawa mumbled to himself.

"There is something I wish to tell everyone…please follow me. The others are most likely waiting for us." The two men followed L out the room and down the hall into a more spacious room. Mogi, Mr. Yagami, Light and Misa were waiting for them.

"What was it you wanted to tell us?" Light asked, trying to subtly pry himself from Misa who insisted on clinging onto his arm.

"I'll tell you in a minute when we are all here."

"What do you mean? Everybody is already here." Matsuda asked, looking confused. Everyone looked at the door when a knock was heard.

"Come in." L called out with a slight smile. The task force watched the door as it opened, wondering who was behind it.

Akishi's POV:

Everyone was staring at me in surprise as I stepped into the room, dressed in the clothes that were just bought, even Light.  _He must have thought that I would refuse L's invitation to join the investigation. He doesn't know that I don't have a choice,_

"You!" Misa jumped up and pointed a finger at me, clearly unhappy to see me. "Why are you here?" I couldn't help but sigh at the reminder that I would have to put up with Misa while there.

"Miss Akishi is here to help with the investigation." L explained for me.

"Do you really think it is wise to bring someone else into the investigation?" Mr. Yagami asked, looking me over.

"Miss Akishi is very perceptive and has good deduction skills, which I believe will be a big help with the case." I knew it was just an excuse as he didn't want the others to know about my confinement but I still blushed at the compliment.

"It's too dangerous to have her involved." Light said suddenly. I was a little taken aback by how openly protective he was of me but tried not to dwell on it right then.

"I'll be fine, Light." I placed a hand on his shoulder and gave him a reassuring smile. He looked like he wanted to argue more but decided against it. The task force was watching curiously, especially Light's father, no doubt wondering how I knew Light. Thankfully, L explained to everyone that I was Light's friend and that he had met me when he was at Light's college. Everyone introduced themselves, with Matsuda being the most eager. It was clear that they weren't all convinced that I should join but didn't really protest…except Misa.

"Why does she have to be here?" Misa whined again.

"You would know if you had been listening." I said coldly, my hatred for the girl clear in my voice despite my efforts to contain it.

"Why you…" Misa glared at me as she made her way over to me.

"Stop Misa." Light grabbed her shoulder to stop her from starting a fight, one she would no doubt lose. Misa did what Light said, of course, but still glared at me. It was then that L informed us about the headquarters he had specially made for this case. He showed us a picture of an impressive skyscraper like building and told us about all of its features. He then surprised us all by suddenly handcuffing himself to Light. He explained that since he still suspected Light of being Kira that he would make sure they were together 24/7 in order to prove whether he was or not. His methods might have been a little extreme but his reasoning made sense but that of course didn't stop Misa from complaining.

"But Light's mine! How are we supposed to go on dates together?"

"It will have to be with the three of us." Misa proceeded to call him a pervert and many other insulting things. She wouldn't let L finish explaining how things were going to go as she was still hung up on the fact that her boyfriend was now handcuffed to another man. I was quickly losing my patience with her and it seemed I wasn't the only one if Aizawa's twitching brow was anything to go by.

"Just shut up!" I yelled, making everyone jump. "He's already told you that it's for the sake of the case. Not everything has to be about you. You don't see Light complaining do you?" She stared at me in shocked silence then opened her mouth to respond but I wouldn't let her. I pushed her out of the room and slammed the door in her face, locking it for good measure. No one said anything but I could tell that they were all relieved she was gone.

"The construction of headquarters is finished so I suggest we move there tomorrow morning." L finally managed to get back on track. "That's all for today." The task force filed out of the room, leaving me alone with Light and L. Having no idea of what to do, I followed the two to the room where they had all been working on the investigation. I felt the need to fill the silence so I asked a random question.

"Why do you go by the name Ryuzaki?" L didn't bother to ask why I believed it to be an alias instead of his real name as it was obvious he would never use his own name even if everyone believed it to be an alias.

"I like the name…surely that's why you go by yours." He was glancing back at me now, waiting for my response. I noticed he subtly implied that my name was just an alias but I decided to let him believe that. I shook my head with a sad smile.

"I don't like my name. I might have at one point but not anymore."

"Why is that?" He asked, genuinely curious.

"Take out the k in my name and it spells Aishi…which means I love you." Both looked at me curiously but I offered no further explanation and L gave up on asking for it. We continued in silence with no further questions.


	21. The New Headquarters

L, being as "careful" as he is, refused to give directions to the new headquarters to anyone; it was decided that Watari would drive everyone there even though it would take several trips. L and Light were first and of course Misa insisted on going with Light. L asked me to come along as well.

Misa shoved me aside so she could sit next to Light before I even made a move towards the car. I rolled my eyes at her antics. There was no way I was going to sit next to her so I went around to the other side of the car and slid in next to L. The car had more seating room than I expected but Misa still snuggled up against Light. I reached to buckle my seatbelt and saw that L was still perched on the seat even though he was in a car, which was fine. However, he wasn't wearing a seatbelt, which was not fine. I pointed that out to him but he still didn't put one on.

"It is rather hard to wear a seatbelt while sitting like this."

"Then don't sit like that while in a car." I responded, somewhat tensely.

"My reasoning abilities drop by forty percent if I sit any differently."

"Is that forty percent difference really worth getting seriously injured if not killed in a car accident?" Looking at his lifespan, I knew that he wouldn't be dying in a car accident today. However, there was still the very slim chance that he would be seriously injured on our way to headquarters and I felt a strange need to ensure that that didn't happen.

He still didn't relent so I opened my car door as if I was going to get out but didn't. I left the door open and glared at L with my arms crossed. Understanding that we wouldn't be going anywhere unless he put his seatbelt on, L reluctantly straightened his legs out and put his seatbelt on with a sigh. I'll admit that I felt a little smug at getting L to do what I wanted even though it was something as simple as putting on a seatbelt. I caught Watari's gaze in the rearview mirror as I closed my door. He was smiling gratefully at me, no doubt glad that L would be a little bit safer now. I smiled back before looking out the window to watch the scenery go by.

It was about twenty minutes later that we passed by a very familiar place…familiar to me at least.  _The cemetery…I wonder if L will let me go out and visit it once in a while._ Surprisingly, the new headquarters was only a couple blocks from the cemetery. The building was even more impressive now that we were standing in front of it and actually kind of beautiful with its many glass windows reflecting the sunlight. Naturally, there was a lot of security but I would most likely only have to deal with it once. Aizawa would unfortunately have to go through it everyday since he decided to stay at home unlike the other members.

 _Wonder how long it will take for him to get sick of it,_  I thought to myself, fully aware of the man's short temper. I silently laughed as I imagined the fit that he would have. Matsuda ran around headquarters, checking everything out like a kid in a toy store and proceeded to tell everyone about what he had found. Honestly, I thought there were more rooms than was necessary but it was pointless to say so at that point. I was amazed by all the technology in the main room where the investigation would take place. The computers were clearly new and had larger than normal screens. I froze in the doorway as I suddenly realized something.

"What's wrong?" L asked me, noticing that I wasn't moving from the doorway. Everyone was looking over at me now.  _Do I really have to say it with everyone here?_  I thought, embarrassed. L waited for my response, either unaware of my embarrassment or disregarding it.

"I…don't know how to use a computer." I admitted sheepishly, looking down at the ground.

"What are you stupid?" Misa asked with a cruel smirk. I expected that response from her so I didn't bother retorting but I still glared at her.

"Experience with technology has nothing to do with intelligence." L said in my defense. "There are some that grow up in less modern households."

"Why didn't you tell me? I would have taught you." Light said sympathetically.

"It never came up." I said, shrugging my shoulders. L was staring quietly at me again while nibbling on his nail.

"Come over here." He suddenly said to me as he made his way over to one of the computers. I followed behind him along with Light, who had no choice but to follow. L asked me to sit in one of the chairs then turned the computer on.

"What are you doing Ryuzaki?" Light asked as L came up next to my chair.

"I'm going to teach her how to use a computer."

"Now?" Light asked, sounding against the idea for some reason.

"Now is the best time." L started to instruct me on the basics, which I thankfully picked up on quickly. The others left the room with Aizawa dragging Misa along before she could make a fuss. Light had no choice but to stay. He pulled up a chair and watched as L reached over me to point things out on the screen. I found myself glancing over at Light during L's teachings. 

 _He doesn't hide his feelings anymore,_  I thought as I saw that he was clearly agitated.  _Wonder what's bothering him._


	22. Sudden Rift

I continued to go over the information we had gathered on the Kira case even as Light slept in the bed about a foot away. He had complained nonstop about my typing on my laptop when he was trying to sleep but he eventually passed out from exhaustion so I no longer had to listen to him. I opened a special window on the laptop and checked on the others. The cameras showed that they were all asleep but I was met with the sight of an empty bed when I checked Akishi's room.

 _Where is she?_  I started looking through the footage of the hallways, trying to find the girl. A sudden knock on my door interrupted my search. I stared at the door, tense and ready to defend myself if needed, as the door opened. I was surprised and relieved to see Akishi outside the room. She took half a step through the doorway and peeked in. She smiled when she saw me staring at her.

"Good, you're still awake." She came fully into the room, completely uninvited but I was more curious than upset at the intrusion. She stopped next to the bed and leaned over a little to see if Light was sleeping. She smiled at his slumbering form then grabbed one of the pillows I would have been using had I actually been in the bed. She clutched the pillow to her chest, covering the modest nightgown Matsuda somehow had the foresight to buy, and sat in the chair across the table from me.

"What are you doing here at such a late hour?" I asked, the information on my laptop temporarily forgotten. I took a sip of my sugar-filled coffee as I stared at her.

"Honestly, I don't get much sleep myself and I was hoping that you could provide some company." I recalled the many nights during the first week of her confinement where she hadn't even attempted to sleep.  _She doesn't appear to be an insomniac like myself so there must be another reason…_

"You have frequent nightmares?" I asked, venturing a guess. Her smile widened slightly.

"That's right…sometimes it's easier to not sleep at all." She was still smiling but there were signs of stress and upset on her face and in her behavior. Having never been in such a situation before, I was unsure of how to respond.  _One would normally ask if the other person would like to discuss the reason for their upset…right?_

"Do you wish to talk about the nightmares?" It seemed I made the right decision as she smiled gratefully at me.

"That's very kind of you but…I think I'd rather just sit here with you for now." She curled up in the chair and watched me as I returned to my work.

Normally, I would have been against having someone watching me like that but I felt strangely content right then. I felt myself smile slightly as I continued to work in the mostly dark room, the constant feel of those captivating eyes lighting a new fire in me that spurred me on. I found that I wouldn't object to such an arrangement happening again. We ended up spending several nights together like this in the silent but peaceful darkness.

Light's POV:

Misa wouldn't stop insisting on spending time with me so L and I had no choice but to spend time with her in her room. Akishi also came along.  _Probably to provide L with some company,_ I thought, frowning. Misa was obviously disappointed that she couldn't be alone with me but it seemed that Akishi's presence made it all the worse, especially since the two had to sit next to each other. Thankfully, no insults were said between the two. It seemed they opted to pretend that the other didn't exist, which was probably for the best.

"Are you going to eat that?" L suddenly asked Misa, pointing to the cake that was in front of her.

"Sweets are fattening," was all she said in reply so L went to take it. Akishi suddenly reached forward and plucked the strawberry right off the top before L could get to it. She popped it into her mouth and playfully smirked at L. He pouted at her, saddened by the loss, but then smiled slightly, seemingly amused by her playfulness. I looked away as I felt another flash of irritation at how close the two were acting. I couldn't explain why I felt this way, which just made me even more irritated. I looked back over when I heard L give a faint sigh.

"What's wrong Ryuzaki?" Akishi asked, looking curious and concerned.

"I'm a little depressed." He admitted, surprisingly.

"Why?" I asked, just as curious as Akishi.

"All this time I thought that Light and Misa were Kira…" He paused to take a bite of the cake, which failed to lift his mood. "I'm just shocked that my deduction was wrong. The only possible conclusion I can come up with is that Kira's power can pass from person to person, which means that Kira's power will be passed on even if we catch those that are apparently under his control. Therefore it's useless to catch anyone…"

 _What?_ I felt anger and disbelief form at his words.

"It'd be better to not try so hard." I felt a silent but strong rage consume me and found myself acting on it. I somehow looked calm as I stood up and turned towards L, who looked over at me just as my fist connected with his face. He went tumbling off the couch, knocking over the table, and I was pulled along with him because of the chain. Akishi and Misa were on their feet instantly.

"That really hurt." L said softly, staring at me just as calmly as always. I stomped over to L and grabbed him by the collar.

"You don't feel like doing anything just because I'm not Kira…the only way to catch him is to go after him! If you don't do anything then what was the point of involving so many innocent people? What was the point of putting Misa and me behind bars?" He offered no resistance as I yelled at him but that changed once I was done. L suddenly ducked down, escaping my grip, and spun around while kicking up his foot. I was sent flying back towards the couch as his foot made contact with my jaw.

"An eye for an eye, my friend." I heard him say before the chain went taut and pulled him along with me. We crashed onto the couch, making it fall back onto the floor. Undeterred, I got up in a crouch to continue yelling at him.

"You make it sound as if you won't be satisfied unless I'm Kira." I accused while glaring at him, hating that composed face of his.

"I won't be satisfied unless you're Kira?" L mirrored my position. "There may be some truth to that…now that you mention, you're right…I think I wanted you to be Kira."

 _Bastard!_  I threw another punch, wanting to break his nose or worse. A barefoot slammed down onto my hand, stopping my attempt at hurting L once more. I winced at the sharp pain. I let my eyes travel up the foot pinning me down until they met Akishi's gaze. She kept her foot on my hand even as she glared down at us both.

"Enough! Where's that intellect and reason you two are so proud of? Fighting isn't solving anything." She looked back and forth between L and me then lifted her foot off my hand. "Hitting someone because of what they say while depressed is pretty inexcusable if you ask me." I was hurt that she was singling me out but then she turned to L. "However, I agree with Light. Sitting back and doing nothing won't stop Kira."

"I was just sharing my reasons for being depressed." L said, looking just as abashed as I at being scolded by Akishi.

"I know…we'll just have to find you some motivation." She smiled at him before kneeling in front of me. She reached for my injured hand and I almost drew it back from her. She held it gently as she examined it with a guilty look.

"I'm sorry Light…I didn't mean to hurt you." She spoke softly, clearing regretting what she had done.

"I know." I spoke just as softly, already forgiving her.

Watari came in at that point to examine my hand himself. He declared it sprained and pulled out some elastic bandages to wrap it.

"I'll do it…I'm the one that hurt him after all." Watari handed the bandages to Akishi and watched as she carefully wrapped them around my hand. She held my hand in between hers even after she was done, looking like she was lost in thought. I felt content to stay that way but reluctantly drew her attention. She let go of my hand and helped me up.

We all made our way back to the main room, except Misa who seemed to still be in shock from the first punch. 

_That's good…she'd give Akishi one hell of a time if she had seen what had happened._


	23. A Loss and Gain

L still didn't feel like working the next day, despite my efforts to cheer him up. What we really needed was a new lead in the case. Thankfully, Light found just that. I couldn't help but smile at how L's face lit up as Light explained his findings.

 _I'm glad he's doing better,_  I thought, relieved to see that fire in his eyes again. Our good mood was dampened when Light's father and Mogi returned to headquarters with bad news.

"The police have given into Kira's bribes and ordered us to disband."

We were all shocked to hear this but it also strengthened our theory that Kira was now involved with the wealthy Yotsuba group. The two men went on to tell us about their decision to leave the police in order to continue helping L. Matsuda immediately made the same decision but Aizawa couldn't make the decision as easily as him. Even L telling him that he could no longer help if he remained a police officer wasn't enough to convince him. I honestly felt sorry for the man; he was clearly struggling with his desire to avenge his friend and his desire to take care of his family. Watari suddenly spoke up about financial support L had prepared for all of their families in case something had happened. I understood instantly how this was going to turn out and sadly watched it play out.

"Were you testing me?" Aizawa asked L, his voice tense with accusation.

"Yes…I wanted to see which one you would choose." L admitted without hesitation. The look on Aizawa's face told me that his mind was made up.

Aizawa's POV:

"I'll stay a police officer."

There was no longer any doubt in my mind about what I would do. It was true that I was going to leave L and the others but I was still going to try and catch Kira on my own while staying with the bureau.

"I just remembered how much I hate Ryuzaki!" L didn't turn to look at me even as I insulted him and expressed my hate for him. He even had the nerve to say that he liked men like me and thanked me for my hard work.  _God I hate him,_ I thought as I turned to leave.

"Mr. Aizawa." For some reason, I stopped at that unexpected voice and looked back at the speaker. Akishi was sitting on one of the couches, staring at me rather disapprovingly no doubt upset by my treatment of L; she did have a fondness for the strange man that I didn't entirely understand. Her disapproving look suddenly softened into a sad smile.

"It was nice knowing you." I was taken aback, not just by her words but also by how she made it sound like we would literally never meet again. That couldn't be true though. There was always a chance I would run into her, even if it were chance a random passing on the street.

 _She's Light's friend. I'm sure I'll see her again but…_ my thoughts trailed off for a moment as my gaze involuntarily shifted and landed on L's back again.  _The same can't be said for L._

I realized then that if I left, I would most likely never see L again. I did hate him but I also respected what he has done and what he can do.

 _Is this really how I want to go out? Is this really how I want to say goodbye to the great detective?_  I mulled it over, unaware of the stares everyone, except L, were giving me.  _No…not like this._

I knew I surprised everyone when I suddenly bowed to L. I knew that L was watching my reflection on his screen so I didn't wait for him to turn and look at me.

"It was an honor to work with you." I said earnestly. I turned to leave again without waiting for his response and caught a glimpse of Akishi's pleased smile along the way. Surprisingly, I felt more at peace with my decision after that.

Akishi's POV:

It was a little strange to enter the main room the next day and not see Aizawa working with the others but I tried not to dwell on it. Mr. Yagami went through the information Light had gathered and saw that the deaths beneficial to Yotsuba went from happening at random to almost always happening during the weekend.

 _That clearly isn't a coincidence._  I felt an unexplainable bout of dread when I realized just how close we were to catching up with the Third Kira. I shook off the feeling and focused once more on what everyone was saying.

 _Huh? Who are they?_  I thought to myself as I saw two strangers sitting on the couch.

"Ryuzaki…Who are they?" I pointed to the newcomers. Everyone, minus L, turned to look, just as curious and surprised as I was.  _So no one else noticed them._

"They are our new members." The blond man and woman stood up to face us. The woman introduced herself as Wedy and told us that she was a thief. The man suddenly came forward and grabbed hold of one of my hands.

"I'm Aiber, a con-man. Pleased to meet a fine lady such as yourself." He leaned forward and placed a kiss on the back of my hand, surprising me and everyone else.

"Aiber." There was a clear warning in L's voice that made Aiber let go of my hand quickly and step back.

"Forgive my forwardness." Aiber bowed slightly, playing the perfect gentleman.

"It's fine." I said, still a little surprised.

"We're going to be working with criminals now?" Mr. Yagami asked once he got over his surprise, clearly against the idea.

"Indeed…Aiber has excellent social skills. He's a con man who can cozy up to our target. We'll use him for infiltration investigation. Wedy is a thief who can crack any lock, safe, or security system. Proof of her skills was seen in how she made it in here without us noticing." L explained. "They aren't the type of criminals who will be killed by Kira." The others still seemed a little reluctant to work with them, especially Light for some reason, but they all agreed so we welcomed our new comrades.


	24. Too Far

"It's so unfair!" Misa whined again. The members of the task force had to hide their groans as the woman continued to make a fuss. "I want to spend time with my Light."

"I understand that Miss Amane but I'm afraid that Light is busy working on the case." L replied with obviously waning patience.

"If you're all so busy then why is she here?" Misa pointed indignantly at Akishi who was sitting in one of the computer chairs, typing on the computer. No matter how often they told her, Misa couldn't seem to understand that Akishi was actually there to work on the investigation.

"I'm trying to participate in the investigation, which is not easy with you being so loud and annoying." Akishi spoke indifferently with her back to Misa. All the men looked over at her, surprised that she had the nerve to say what they all were thinking.

"A-annoying? I'm not annoying!" Misa claimed loudly, nearly shrieking.

"You always burst in here, demanding time with Light regardless of the situation or his own feelings…that's not only annoying but also clingy, inconsiderate and rather degrading." Everyone was watching now, as Misa stood there with a red puffed up face, waiting for the inevitable explosion from the woman.

"How dare you! What do you know? You're just a freak…just look at that eye of yours." Akishi calmly spun the chair around to face Misa, showing no real reaction to her words.

"You know…some people like this feature of mine." Akishi was clearly amused with how easy it was to rile the blonde up.

"Oh really? Then there must be something wrong with them too." Akishi's smug, amused expression shattered instantly. Everyone jumped at the sound of Akishi's chair crashing to the ground as she suddenly flung herself at Misa in a fit of rage. Light barely managed to grab her before she caused any harm, that didn't stop her from trying though.

"TAKE THAT BACK! TAKE THAT BACK RIGHT NOW!" Misa took several steps back in fear as Akishi screamed at her while struggling in Light's grip.

"Akishi calm down." Light pleaded as he held the girl as tightly as he could without hurting her. Akishi eventually did stop screaming and struggling but she was still glaring at Misa while panting heavily.

"Miss Amane, I'm going to have to ask you to leave." L said suddenly, voice tense.

"What? Me? But-" Misa shut her mouth at the looks she was getting from everyone and quietly left the room. Light waited a few seconds before releasing Akishi. She stood there a few seconds, her head hanging low in shame.

"I'm sorry…I need some time to myself." She spoke, barely loud enough for them all to hear, before slowly leaving the room. She made sure to go down the hallway in the opposite direction Misa had gone. The task force members stared at the closed door, still shocked by what had happened.

Akishi's POV:

I found myself on the roof of the building. There was a slight drizzle but I barely noticed it. I rested my arms on the bars rimming the edge of the roof and thought about the scene I had just caused. Unlike that time at the campus I understood exactly why I had reacted the way I did. My hand drifted up and covered my red eye.

**_"It's beautiful."_**

I flinched at the memory of  **his**  words. I suddenly started talking out loud to him as if he was there listening.

"You were a strange human but…" I gripped the bar tightly with both hands and looked up. "There was nothing wrong with you…right?" I stood there staring up at the sky as if I expected a response but all that came was more rain. I knew I shouldn't have been disappointed…but I was.

L's POV:

"I still can't believe she reacted that way." Matsuda said again. He hunched forward timidly when the others looked over at him in annoyance. "Sorry." He whispered. I ignored him but I was also thinking about what had happened. It wasn't the first time I had seen Akishi react violently to something but she had never been so vicious.  _Why had she reacted that way?_  I wondered; Misa's insults up to that point seemed to have had no affect at all but then…

"She's been gone a long time." Light suddenly said, clearly concerned. I glanced at the clock on the computer and saw that she had indeed been gone for over an hour.

"Maybe someone should go check on her." Matsuda suggested. I sat quietly, contemplating what to do. After a minute I got off my chair and pulled the handcuff key out of my pocket. I unlocked my cuff and snapped it onto one of the table legs.

"Ryuzaki what are you doing?" Light asked, confused and slightly indignant.

"I'm going to check on her like Matsuda suggested." I said while making my way towards the door. "Where is she Watari?"

"On the roof." Watari's response came through the computer.

"Keep a close eye on Light please."

"Yes, Ryuzaki."

"But-" The door closed behind me, shutting out Light's protests. I slowly made my way to the roof. I saw Akishi instantly upon opening the door. She was sitting on the ground with her back against the thin bars. She had her face hidden in her arms with her knees pulled up against her chest. She sat there quietly as if she was oblivious to her drenched clothes and hair. It was no longer raining so I had no problem leaving the awning over the door and walking towards her.

"You've been gone a long time, you must still be upset." I kept my voice soft but loud enough for her to hear me. She lifted her head to look up at me.

"Ryuzaki? What are you doing here?" She glanced around. "Where's Light?"

"He's still with the others, I'm having Watari watch him at the moment."

"I see." She leaned back and looked up at the sky. "I'm no longer angry, I just…got a little lost in my thoughts."

"May I ask why Amane's last comment upset you so? None of her previous comments seemed to faze you."

"It's only fair since I caused such a disturbance and interrupted the investigation." She was silent for a moment as she took a deep breath.

Akishi's POV:

I sat silently for a moment as the memory I had been dwelling on returned to me.

_"It's just an empty eye socket."_

_**"Not true…there's a red glow coming from in there."** _

_"Really?"_

**"Yeah…It's beautiful."**  I unconsciously brought my hand up and covered my red eye during the memory and kept it there even as I started speaking, altering the tale just a bit.

"A very dear friend of mine once told me that one of the things he loved most about me was the color of my red eye and how it seemed to glow. When Misa said that there must be something wrong with those that like my red eye, I thought of him and I just…snapped."

"You got defensive on his behalf." L said, showing that he understood.

"Yeah…pretty pointless really since he's been dead for a long time." I quickly shut my mouth, shocked.  _Why did I tell him that?_

"I see…" He stood there, seemingly unsure about how to respond. "I'm sorry for your loss." Seeing that he was really trying to be sympathetic, I gave a small, grateful smile.

"I guess we should head back." I went to pull myself up but stopped when he stepped forward and held his hand out. I took his hand and he pulled me up with very little effort. I noticed that he held my hand a second longer than he really needed to but I wasn't bothered by it so I said nothing.

"You'll need to dry off first." He said to me as we made our way to the door. I nodded with a smile, surprisingly content at that moment.


	25. Doubts and Inconveniences

We were all working on investigating Yotsuba but there was little progress and I was actually having a hard time focusing. For some reason I kept thinking of other things, though still Kira related. I didn't want to admit it, even to myself, but I knew that my ideals weren't that different from Kira's…and that worried me. I began to doubt myself.

_Maybe L is right…maybe I was Kira._

It wasn't just because of my ideals that I thought this…it was also because of the time I met with Naomi Misora. Matsuda had mentioned to me once that they believed Kira killed her and the fact that I had spoken to her on the day she went missing unnerved me. I barely remembered the incident honestly but I couldn't understand why.

 _What had we talked about?_ I kept dwelling on it, it felt important that I remember.

A memory from that day suddenly became clearer but it wasn't exactly the memory I was dwelling on. Pain in my cheek…Akishi crying…a broken promise…a sworn oath, not to her but to myself.

 _What promise did I break? What did I do to make her cry like that?_  I glanced over at where she was talking to L while he ate a piece of cake, wondering whether she had gotten over it.  _She has never mentioned it…does she not remember it either?_  For some reason, I doubted that that was possible.  _Does she know that I don't remember it?_ I stopped that train of thought, worried about the possible implications if that turned out to be true. I looked away, still lost in my thoughts.

"What's wrong Light?" I looked up when she suddenly spoke, now standing next to me. "Does your hand still hurt?" Apparently, I had been looking down at my injured hand while I was thinking.

"It's fine." I reassured her. Her frown told me that she didn't quite believe me. Her frown suddenly turned into a mischievous smile as she started teasing me.

"Maybe now you'll think twice before starting a fight…especially with someone who has had proper training."

"I didn't know he knew how to fight." I said in my defense, resisting the urge to cross my arms much like my sister would have done.

"Really Light? You didn't think for a minute that the overly paranoid detective that many criminals would love to get their hands on wouldn't know how to defend himself if needed?"

 _Does she have to make it sound so obvious?_  I said nothing, a little ashamed with myself. She gave me a reassuring smile.

"It's okay Light, none of us really expected it…he certainly doesn't look like he can fight." We both glanced over at the detective, taking in just how frail and lanky he looked. L stopped eating his cake and looked our way, probably wondering why we were staring at him.

"I'm not exactly sure what you two are talking about but I don't really like how you two are looking at me." L said with an almost childish pout.

"We were just talking about how impressive your combat abilities are." Akishi said with a smile as she went over to stand beside L again. L gave her a look that showed that he didn't quite believe her.

"I was inspired to properly learn capoeira after Naomi Misora sent me tumbling down a flight of stairs." L explained. Everyone stared at him in disbelief but he just turned back to his cake, seemingly unaware of how bizarre that tale sounded.

"Ryuzaki." Watari's voice suddenly came through the computer, drawing everyone's attention.

"What is it, Watari?"

"I have received a distress signal from Mr. Matsuda." L let out an audible sigh before asking where Matsuda was.

"The signal…" Watari hesitated a bit as he let out his own sigh. "Is coming from Yotsuba's headquarters."

 _Are you serious?_  I covered my face with my hand, once again wondering how Matsuda had managed to become a police officer.


	26. The Rescue

"That idiot." L said quietly but loudly enough for everyone to hear and I couldn't agree with him more.

"What should we do?" Light asked.

"First we need to see exactly what situation Matsuda is in." L asked for Mr. Yagami's cell phone and we all gathered around as he dialed a number, most likely Matsuda's. The phone stopped ringing after a minute.

"Yo, Matsui!" L said into the phone with a slightly drunk sounding voice that I couldn't help but chuckle at.

"It's Asahi. You alone?" L listened to Matsuda's response then held the phone away from himself while turning towards us. "He's not with Misa." He said before bringing the phone back towards him. L asked asked seemingly unrelated questions that he used to determine Matsuda situation, which Matsuda thankfully realized.

"Matsuda is in trouble." L deduced as he hung up.

"What should we do then?" Mr. Yagami asked.

"If Matsuda were to die then that would prove Yotsuba's connection to Kira." Despite what he said, I had a feeling that L wouldn't just abandon Matsuda. Light's phone started ringing; Misa had finally called him back. He asked if she was with Matsuda but she wasn't and it was then that she got a call from Matsuda on her other phone. Matsuda asked her to come over to the Yotsuba headquarters so they could discuss her appearing in one of their commercials.

 _So that's the excuse he gave for being there,_ I thought as I stood quietly to the side. L reached over and yanked on Light's sleeve to get his attention.

"Light, we may be able to save Matsuda, but we will need Misa's help. She'll do what you say." Light seemed a bit taken aback but still relayed the plan to Misa. Misa went to Yotsuba and talked with them about appearing in the commercials while we prepared for the second half of the plan.

"No." I said, crossing my arms.  _There's no way I'm doing that._

"Your observation skills and perceptiveness would produce better results if you view them in person rather than through a camera." L explained, hoping to convince me to disguise myself as one of the models.

"It's too dangerous for her, Ryuzaki." Light said, his protective side shining through again.

"That's not the problem." I said, drawing their attention again. They both looked over at me with puzzled expressions, failing to see what my problem was.

"What's wrong is what I would have to wear." I held up the skimpy shirt and skirt to prove my point. "Why would anyone even agree to wear this?" I asked, glaring at the offending outfit.

"You need to blend in with the others or they will be suspicious of you." L insisted. I knew he was right. I looked back down at the outfit and resisted the urge to toss it aside.

 _It's for the sake of the case,_  I reminded myself.

"Fine…but there's no way I'm putting my hair up in little pigtails." I conceded with great reluctance.  _At least it's navy blue and not pink._

I left the room to change into the demeaning piece of clothing then made my way to where the "party" would be. The models gave me curious looks but they were already told that I was an undercover agent for some case that Yotsuba was a suspect in so they said nothing.

 _Can't believe they bought that lie,_  I thought as I took my place beside them.

The members of Yotsuba arrived soon after and I reluctantly joined the others in giving an overly cheerful greeting. We then dispersed so that there would be a model for each man. I somehow found myself standing next to Reiji Namikawa, the best looking one there, and had to ignore the envious glares of the models. I glanced over at Misa and saw that she was practically a hostage to this one man, Kyosuke Higuchi, who was very forward in his advances. He acted as if he could easily give Misa whatever she wanted.

 _Where did such an idiotic ego come from?_  I couldn't help but wonder, a bit suspicious of the man but not exactly sure why.

I did my best to observe all the men without being suspicious but I had to keep most of my attention on Namikawa. I was pleased that he made no advances like Higuchi but instead made simple conversation and therefore I kept out of his personal space, unlike the other models. He seemed to appreciate it. Looking at him, I determined that he was a prideful man and the way he held himself made me believe that he had a lot of influence and didn't show it off like Higuchi seemed to be doing with Misa.

I was so caught up in my observations that I was actually startled when Matsuda kicked the door in when he came back from the bathroom even though I knew in advance that it was going to happen.

"Man…I'm drunk." Matsuda spoke with a drawl as he made his way to the balcony. "It's time for the Tarou Matsui Show!" He threw his arms up dramatically as if to draw everyone's attention but everyone was already watching him.

It was clear that the men and models were getting nervous but none made a move until Matsuda started walking along the edge of the balcony wall. Several stood up and tried to talk him down but he ignored them and proceeded to hold himself up with just his hands. I knew the plan but I still found myself looking over his lifespan to reassure myself that he would be okay. He let one of his hands slip off and screamed as he fell over the edge. There were several cries from the terrified models while the men ran to look over the edge.

I already knew what they would be seeing so I didn't need to look myself. Misa reassured the men that she would handle everything and told them to leave. I quickly made my way to my room once they were gone to change then met up with everyone except L, Light and Aiber who were in the ambulance that had arrived on the scene.

"That was a stupid thing to do." Mr. Yagami scolded Matsuda for his recklessness.

None of the others said anything but it was clear that they shared his sentiments. Matsuda slouched on the couch once he was done, clearly depressed. Having understood the reason for his recklessness, I felt it was up to me to cheer him up.

"It may not have been the smartest thing to do…" I started as I came to stand next to him. "But it was a big help." I smiled reassuringly at him and his broke out into a huge smile at my words.

"Just don't ever do that again on your own." I patted his shoulder before I took my place by L and Light.


	27. A Suspect at Last

It had been a week since Matsuda's idiotic escapade and we were all eagerly awaiting to get the video feed of the secret meetings. It was almost time for the meeting when Watari suddenly called out to L through the computer.

"What is it, Watari?" Everyone gathered around L, eager to hear what Watari had to say.

"Detective Eraldo Coil has been asked to uncover L's identity."

"Isn't Eraldo Coil the man who's the next greatest detective after L? Who would send such a request?" Mr. Yagami asked, clearly worried by this new information.

"The person who requested it is the vice-president of the rights and planning department of Yotsuba Group's main office, Masahiko Kida." Watari informed us, showing a picture of the man.

"If they want L's identity, then that means they probably want to kill him." Light concluded.

"This isn't good. We're already shorthanded and now we have to worry about Coil too."

"It's all right. The detective known as Eraldo Coil is me." Everyone looked over at L in surprise. "Three of the world's greatest detectives, L, Coil, and Deneuve…are all me. Those who try to find me usually fall for this." L expained.

"That wasn't always the case though, was it?" Akishi asked from her place on the couch. L looked over at her and took in her knowing smile. His gaze lingered for a few seconds before he replied.

"Indeed, they were three separate detective at one point but I inherited those titles from them after a fierce war between the three of us." He said, as he turned back to his cake, not even bothering to ask how she came to that conclusion.

"That'd be an interesting story to hear."

"Another time perhaps." L said as he picked up a strawberry. He looked back over towards Akishi and gestured for her to come over towards him. Curious, she readily stood up and went to stand beside him. He grabbed one of her hands and placed the strawberry in the palm.

"I'll give you this strawberry, if you keep this a secret." Akishi looked down at the berry, surprised, then laughed. L smiled slightly at having made her laugh and thought that she looked really happy and carefree when she laughed. He found it hard to look away from her and Light shared a similar problem; her expression of joy and amusement was just so endearing.

"So what should we do?" Mr. Yagami asked once Akishi's laughter died down.

"We shall have Aiber contact Mr. Kida, claiming to be Coil, in order to get close to him so we can keep an eye on him and the others outside of these meetings."

"Ryuzaki, Mrs. Wedy has informed me that the cameras are all set up and ready." Watari said suddenly.

"Show us the feed, please." We all looked up at the big screen as an image of a large meeting room appeared. Sure enough, the men Matsuda mentioned were there however…one was missing. Mr. Yagami pointed this out.

"They killed him off." Akishi said, as she came to stand closer so she could see the screen better. L glanced at her then agreed with her statement.

Akishi's POV:

I spotted Rem instantly upon looking at the screen and knew that the man sitting in front of her was Kira…unfortunately that man turned out to be Higuchi.

 _Why did it have to be him?_   _Poor Rem has to deal with him,_ I thought, disgusted. The men went on to discuss who they should kill to further the growth of the Yotsuba Group.

 _Those bastards,_  I thought, seething with rage at how unconcerned they were with human life.

"One of these men is Kira." L said without a hint of doubt in his voice. I barely heard him, I was too busy looking for something I could point out that would help narrow down the suspects. I looked at each man and actually spotted something.

"They are all nervous." I said, drawing everyone's attention.

"One of their own was just killed." Mr. Yagami reasoned.

"No, it's not just that…they are wary of each other and are careful to not openly oppose one another, which means…"

"They are aware that Kira is among them." L finished for me, once again staring at me but this time more intently.

 _What is he thinking?_  I wondered as I kept my gaze locked with his. He looked back at the screen after a moment without offering an explanation for his staring, not that I had expected him to.

"It seems that not all are as nervous as you say."

"Yes, at least two look completely unfazed." I said, hoping I wouldn't have to actually name the two myself.  _Don't want to seem too perceptive._

"Namikawa and Higuchi." Light joined in just in time to stop Matsuda's attempt at being part of our little conversation.  _He most likely wouldn't have named the right one anyway_.

"So Kira is one of the two?" Mr. Yagami asked.

"It is highly possible."

"But which one?" Mogi asked. L watched the screen silently then turned towards me.

"What do you think, Akishi?" Now everyone was looking at me, waiting for my opinion.

 _Damn, what do I say now? How far do I go?_  I looked back up at the screen.  _I've already gone this far…no point in stopping now._

"If I had to chose between the two I would say that Higuchi is the one most likely to be Kira. He's obsessed with status and power, so much so that he might resort to murder."

"Why not Namikawa?" Matsuda asked, doing his best to keep up.

"Namikawa was already very successful; he didn't need to resort to killing to further himself. Even if he did, he wouldn't need the help of others. Higuchi on the other hand probably is not capable enough on his own, which would explain these meetings."

"I agree that Higuchi is suspicious but we shouldn't rule out the others just yet. However, Higuchi will be our main suspect."

"Ryuzaki, couldn't we use this video to arrest them?" Mr. Yagami suddenly asked.

"No. Unfortunately, that would not be good enough to actually single Kira out among them. We'll also need to wait till the people they name die."

"Ryuzaki!" Both father and son yelled out at him in unison.

"What?"

"I can't go along with this!" Light yelled with his father agreeing with him. "You plan to let these seven continue to kill in order to catch Kira when we can stop them now by arresting them."

"Are you serious?" I couldn't keep silent any longer. I stood up and put myself between them and L.

"Have you even thought about how this would affect the investigation? You arrest them then what? Kira's power could just transfer to someone else and then we'd have to search all over again. We need to actually have evidence against him."

"Are you saying we should just let them keep killing?" Light asked, outrage clear in his voice.

"No!" I protested, my own voice rising to meet his.

"What I'm saying is that we shouldn't go running off to do what's morally right without thinking! You need to think about the consequences before making a decision…unless you want to ruin everything." Light and his father were clearly still unconvinced.

"Do you really have so little faith in Ryuzaki?" I asked, voice suddenly going soft. Both were clearly shocked by my sudden question.

"He doesn't want there to be any sacrifices either and he is doing his best to stop Kira with as few as possible. You've followed him this far….Is it really so hard to believe in him now when we are so close?"

Neither answered but I could tell that they were thinking it over and that was enough for now. I walked past the two and left the room. I stopped in front of one of the hallway windows and stared out at the world outside.

_Must there always be sacrifices? Is there not a path out there where no one has to die?_

I liked to think that there was such a path but right then I started to really doubt that such a path existed. I stared at the sky and noticed dark clouds off in the distance.

_A storm is coming…but it's still a long ways off._


	28. The Next Step

Eager to know how things were going, I returned to the main room a couple hours later. It was obvious from the start that Light was trying to keep his distance from me, no doubt worried that I was still angry with him.

"I'm not angry with you, Light. Disappointed maybe, but not angry." Light turned his head my way, clearly wanting to believe my words. "It wasn't right of me to get so riled up…you were just trying to do what you believed was right." I wasn't blind to the irony of my words.

"No." Light quickly turned his chair to face me. "You were right. I didn't really think it through and you stopped me from taking any rash actions…thank you." We smiled at each other, temporarily caught in our own little world.

"We all decided to go along with Ryuzaki's plan." Matsuda suddenly said.

"What plan did he come up with?" I asked, looking towards L for an explanation.

"We've actually already put the plan in motion." L started, turning slightly so we could make eye contact. "We had Aiber contact Masahiko Kida as Eraldo Coil, accepting their request. When Yotsuba contacts him again he will tell them about Misa having been a suspect and mention that it is possible she met L."

 _That's all true though,_ I thought, patiently listening to the plan.

"They'll want to interrogate her to find out my identity so they will most likely call her to meet them about appearing in their commercials; they'll question her during the interview. At this point we don't believe this Kira has the same power as the Second Kira so he will probably want that power-"

"So he'll try to get close to Misa." I finished for him.

"That's what we are hoping for."

_Higuchi seems obsessed with Misa already…however he probably already knows that she gave up the notebook. He's not dumb enough to approach her anyway…right?_

"Misa has already agreed to this?" I asked.

"Indeed, she has."

_Of course she did, she'd do anything if she thinks it will help Light._

"Now we just have to wait for Yotsuba to accept Aiber's conditions. The men will probably have another meeting on Monday to discuss it so we'll have to wait till then."

_That's a long wait._

"So the investigation is on hold till then?"

"Wedy will continue to set up cameras in the mens' houses but, yes, our part will be put on hold for now." Normally, I would stay with L and Light even when we weren't investigating but I felt the need to be alone this time.

"I'll be on the roof if anyone needs me." I turned to leave, without waiting for a response but there wasn't one anyway.

It was a very uneventful weekend with the deaths of the men chosen by Yotsuba being the only thing happening in the investigation. I spent most of my time on the roof watching the sky with L and Light joining me on occasion but then Watari brought out a chessboard. L and Light had to teach me how to play but once I knew how I spent the remainder of the weekend playing against the two. I never won but I had been close a few times. It was fun coming up with strategies to counter their different playing styles; I was reluctant to return to the investigation on Monday but had no choice but to do so.

The men did meet again on Monday and ultimately agreed to hire Coil. Aiber gave them the information about Misa the next day and they decided to have him there in person during the interview to help question Misa. I winced at how upset Rem looked at the mention of Misa but obviously said nothing. The men then went on to discuss whom to kill over the weekend. Light and his father watched the screen with obvious displeasure but said nothing for a while. However, Light just couldn't seem to let this go on.

"Ryuzaki, I'm going to borrow your identity for a bit." L stared at him a moment then sighed but surprisingly didn't stop him from using the phone to call Namikawa. We all watched as Namikawa pulled out his cell phone. He hesitated at seeing the unknown number but still answered.

"You're Reiji Namikawa, the V.P. of Yotsuba Group's Sales Department One, aren't you?" Light said, watching Namikawa intently.

"Yes. So what about it?" Namikawa replied cautiously.

"I am L."

It was strange and a bit unsettlingly to hear Light say that but I couldn't really explain why. Namikawa's expressoin changed instantly but he quickly schooled his expression to avoid suspicion from the others. Light told him about the cameras and microphones in the meeting room and spoke of what had happened in the meeting earlier to prove it. It was clear what was going through Namikawa's head right then.

"If you aren't Kira…or if you aren't someone who can directly contact Kira…then let's make a deal." That really got his attention. "Delay any future deaths you are all plan today by one month. This shouldn't be difficult for you."

"Go on…"

"If you do this, and cooperate with us from now on, everyone other than Kira will not be charged…under the belief that they were threatened by Kira into participating in the meetings."

"I see…"

"If L wins against Kira, you'll be acquitted. If Kira wins against me, you'll carry on with your luxurious life. Or you can remain a spectator and go along with either side. Whoever wins, L or Kira, it's no loss to you."

"Okay…that's fine." Namikawa said after a minute before hanging up. He provided an excuse for the phone call and they all bought it but…I noticed that one was giving him a strange look but he did nothing so I didn't think it important to mention right then.

Namikawa went on to delay the murders just like we asked without rousing any suspicion. We tried to prepare Misa for the interview but she wouldn't take it seriously but I wasn't worried; I knew that when the time came she would do what she needed to do. What worried me was Rem.

 _I hope she doesn't do anything_.


	29. Unexpected Proof

"I hope she's okay." Matsuda said again, pacing back and forth.

_Misa hasn't even been gone an hour and he's already worried._

No one said anything in response but it was clear that they were also wondering how the "interview" was going. Even L seemed a little anxious.

 _I should get them to focus on something else_ , I thought, watching L and Light stare at their blank computer screens. The chessboard resting on the table between the two couches caught my eye. I smiled.

_Perfect._

"Come on guys, I want a rematch." I said as I pulled the two over to the couches. They were startled but still followed along behind me. I stopped right before the couches and rethought my idea.

_Playing against me won't keep them distracted for long._

"On second thought, why don't you guys face each other?"

They glanced at each other, thinking it over, and then sat across from each other less than a moment later; the thought of facing against someone of the same intellectual level was too tempting to resist. Knowing that L would insist on going first, Light started setting up the black pieces on his side. Wanting to see the board clearly, I rolled one of the computer chairs over and straddled the back of it with my head and arms resting on the backrest. My presence was quickly forgotten as the two were swept up in the game.

I already knew that the two had different ways of playing but seeing them face against each other made the difference all the clearer. Both thought ahead but Light tended to make sudden rash moves, jumping at the chance to take one of L's pieces, not realizing that he was falling into a trap. He also failed to mask his reactions, which made it easier for L to figure out his next course of action and counteract it. It took a while but it came as no surprise when L won. Prideful and slightly childish, Light had to restrain from striking out at the chessboard even more so when L spoke.

"Light was easier to read than I expected." L said, looking a little smug but also contemplative.

 _You weren't playing against Kira,_ I mentally reminded him then paused at the thought.  _How would it have gone if Light was Kira?_

"I'm back!" Misa exclaimed as she came into the room, interrupting Light's demand for a rematch as well as my thoughts. L and Light eagerly got up to hear how things had gone, nearly catching me with the chain in their haste.

"I've already been asked to meet privately with three of them." Misa explained, holding her phone open to prove her point. "So I just have to meet them and investigate them, right?"

"I still don't think it's a good idea to do this. Surely there must be another way." Light said, making me sigh.

"Let me know when you think of one." L spoke tensely, no doubt annoyed by Light's constant complaints. "For now we'll stick to the plan."

I expected Misa to side with Light but she just stood there silently, staring at Light with a torn expression. The tense silence between Light and L dragged on for a bit and I wanted to break it but Misa beat me to it.

"I have a film shoot tomorrow so I'm going to go get some sleep." Her smile and cheerfulness seemed fake and forced, as if she was trying to act like she normally did but with very little success. She went to leave the room but stopped at the doorway. She glanced back at Light, unaware of my staring, before letting the door close behind her.

I kept my eyes on the door as I contemplated her strange behavior. My first thought was that Rem had done something but it was possible that I was just jumping to conclusions. I looked away from the door and saw that L was also staring at where Misa had been.

_Of course he noticed her strange behavior but we can't know for sure what the reason behind it is without asking her._

I had forgotten Misa's strange behavior by the next day but then she ditched Mogi to "go on a date." Clearly she was with one of the Yotsuba members but she was supposed to wait till we could monitor the meeting.

_She must not want to the meeting to be monitored…but why? She must know that she will not get another chance to do this so how did she decide whom to meet? We didn't tell her yet that Higuchi was the main suspect so how…God damnit Rem! She revealed herself to her then told her who Kira was._

All I could do was hope that this wouldn't ruin Light's plan. Misa showed up about two hours later with an interesting recording.

"I'm Kira, so in order to make you trust me, I'm going to stop killing criminals starting now. And when you know I'm Kira, we'll get married." There was no longer any dout that Higuchi was Kira. Misa looked so proud of herself but she failed to realize one flaw in her plan…

"We still don't know how he kills his victims…I want to find out before we arrest him but we can't if criminals stop dying." L said as he played with the macaroons Watari brought him. He was silent for a moment before looking back at Light and Misa.

"Light, I'm sorry to bring this up again but I need to ask again."

"What is it?"

"Do you remember how to kill?" Light immediately denied being Kira as usual. "Just answer the question." L prompted.

"I don't."

"What about you, Misa?"

"I don't remember and I'm not Kira." Misa replied, walking forward to glare at L. L glanced at me before continuing the conversation.

"Light, please seriously analyze what I'm going to say. Your answer will determine if we can catch Kira." L waited a moment, making sure he had Light's full attention. "Light Yagami was Kira and Kira's power passed on to someone else. Right now, Light doesn't remember that he was Kira." The magnitude of what L had said earlier kept Light's protests at bay. "Was it because Light wanted that to happen? Or was there someone behind Light who gave him Kira's power? Did that person pass Light's power to someone else?"

It was scary how L had already figured everything out. We all waited for Light's response. His upset at the answer was clear on his face but he still forced himself to say it.

"Under those circumstances, it would be Light Yagami's choice." Clearly this was what L believed.

"Thank you, Light. We will create a situation where Higuchi cannot pass his power on to anyone else, and have him show us how he kills." L said, suddenly focusing back on Higuchi.

"I'm going to trick Higuchi using Sakura TV, specifically the Kira special that Demegawa airs every week. We'll take up a three-hour time slot and right at the beginning, we'll say that at the end of the program, we're going to announce who Kira is."

"Will he believe that? He might not even watch the program." Matsuda asked, clearly doubtful.

"We can have Namikawa call him and tell him to watch. He's more likely to believe it if he thinks Namikawa is concerned about it." I said, feeling it was time to contribute.

"We'll also have a witness there to reveal his secret." L continued.

"Oh you mean Aiber."

"No Matsuda, it can't be Aiber. It has to be someone Higuchi thinks he can kill."

"Matsuda is the only option." I said, looking at Matsuda. Matsuda looked absolutely terrified at the idea.

_He must realize the danger he would be in._

"Indeed. However, if Higuchi turns out to have the same killing power as the Second Kira, then Mr. Matsuda will die. It seems highly unlikely though."

 _That doesn't mean that he won't gain that power,_ I thought, worried for the man's safety.

"This will be after the criminals stop dying so Matsuda has some time to decide whether he will go through with it."

_He will…he wants to be useful no matter what._

Matsuda strode forward so he was standing behind L.

"I'll do it." I had never heard him speak with such confidence and determination before and I was proud of him but also worried.


	30. At Last

Everything was ready…it was finally time to apprehend Higuchi. Everyone was anxious but also eager to finally catch Kira…but not me; I just couldn't shake this feeling of dread.

"What's wrong, Akishi?" L asked, noticing my apprehensive look. With nothing else to focus on yet, Light and Misa looked over to listen in on the conversation.

"Nothing…it's just a little overwhelming." I lied. L probably didn't believe me but didn't pry further for some reason.

 _That's been happening a lot lately,_  I thought, curious.

We all looked back at the big screen as the program started. We waited a minute before contacting Namikawa with Light speaking as L again.

"This is L…are you alone?"

"No."

"Then just pretend that this is a normal call."

"There's no need for that…they've already realized that the call I received from you during that meeting was odd."

 _Shimura must be there with him,_  I thought, remembering the look he gave Namikawa.

Namikawa revealed to the others that he was talking with L before Light got to respond. "Mido and Shimura are with me. It's unlikely that either of them are Kira and both are tired of the meetings; they'll sit on the sidelines with me."

"That's fine." Light replied after glancing at L for approval. "Tonight, we'll capture Kira, but we need your help." Namikawa was silent for a moment.

"So, this is the end for Higuchi."

"You knew!" I covered my face in disbelief at Light's gullibility and L had a similar but less obvious reaction.

"I guess even L can be tricked. Now I know for sure that Higuchi is Kira." Namikawa laughed, a little smug. Light shut his eyes and hung his head a bit, clearly ashamed of his slip up.

"Right now, we're using the "Kira Special" shown on Sakura TV to force Higuchi's hand. I need you to contact Higuchi and tell him to watch it and make sure the others don't attempt anything." Light continued, choosing not to comment on his slip up.

"Do this and I promise the remaining six of you won't be arrested or charged for any of those deaths." Namikawa agreed then hung up. We went back to watching the program, waiting for Higuchi to make a move.

I knew it was all part of the plan but I still felt myself tense when the screen concealing Matsuda toppled over and revealed his face to Higuchi; there was still a slim chance that Higuchi made the deal for the eyes since the last time I had seen him but nothing happened. Misa's phone started ringing but she rejected Higuchi's call.

_He doesn't have the eyes then…good._

Higuchi then called Mogi, asking for for the name of Misa's former manager, Matsuda. We listened in as Mogi told him to call the director of Yoshida Productions. We had already told the director to tell him that everyone was on a trip but that he could go to the office and look for the name. Higuchi immediately went to his car to make his way there. We watched him through the cameras while Wedy followed behind him.

Higuchi's look of determination and sadistic glee scared me and it seemed to also bother Rem who was in the back of the car, invisible to everyone except Higuchi, me and possibly Misa. Higuchi watched the program even as he drove.

"During my research I learned that there's two things that Kira needs to kill someone." Matsuda continued. I could see the wheels turning in Higuchi's head, making me think that he might not be as dumb as I thought.

"Rem…what do you think? Do you think his resume will be at Yoshida Productions?"

I felt my body sag in disappointment; I knew it was pointless but I had been hoping that maybe we could finish the case without the team learning about shinigami.

"Who's he talking to? He's in the car alone…Is he talking to himself?" Light asked. L was quiet but it was clear that he was pondering the situation.

"If he's smart, he wouldn't appear on TV until he disposed of everything connected to his name. And Yoshida Productions just letting me enter their building, isn't that a bit careless? Even if his resume is at Yoshida Productions, what if it's another fake name?"

_That's not going to stop you from going though._

Rem must have saw that this was all part of our plan since she encouraged Higuchi to go to the office anyway.

"But I should also kill the Yoshida Production people I called, Misa, and her manager just in case."

"Don't worry…he means after he has killed Matsuda." L reassured Misa after seeing her worried expression.

Rem tried to talk him out of killing Misa but instead gave him the idea to have all of them clear their call history as well to avoid suspicion.

"If he is talking to someone right now then it could be…a shinigami."

 _Great…now he has the idea in his head,_ I thought, glancing at L.

Higuchi finally made it to Yoshida Productions. L leaned forward as Higuchi pulled out the resume, eager to see how he kills. He pulled out that familiar black notebook and wrote the name down. He put the resume back in the draw and went to leave.

"He just wrote it down. He's not going to kill him here?"

"Maybe he is going to do something in the car." Higuchi watched the screen in his car, mentally counting down the seconds. The time of death passed with nothing happening to Matsuda.

"Damn! He didn't die!" Higuchi yelled out in rage, banging his hands on the steering wheel.

"What's going on? Did he already use his killing method? Was writing the name down all it takes?" I heard Light's words but I was more focused on what Higuchi was doing. His look of angry desperation was worrying me at that point.

_Please don't…_

"Rem…let's make the deal." Higuchi said with serious resignation, shattering my futile hope that it wouldn't come to this.

"Oh no." I muttered quietly, despite myself, as I watched Higuchi's lifespan get cut in half. L looked over at me but I chose to ignore him.

"What deal is he talking about?" Light asked, not close enough to have heard me.

Higuchi suddenly smirked maliciously, sending a chill down my spine. He sped off in the direction of Sakura TV with Wedy, Aiber, and Mogi close behind him. Unfortunately, he caught the attention of a traffic cop. The cop pulled him over and asked for his license. I had to restrain myself from crying out when I realized what Higuchi was about to do. All I could do was watch as the traffic cop crashed into the back of a truck when he attempted to chase after the suddenly fleeing Higuchi. It didn't take long for L to come to the conclusion that Higuchi could now kill like the Second Kira could.

"Everyone, it is too dangerous to allow further action by Higuchi! Let's bring him in! However, I believe that Higuchi now has the same ability as the Second Kira so proceed with caution." He ordered everyone. L then called the director of the NPA and told him to not take any action against Higuchi.

"Shall we get going?" L stood up. He walked over to Misa and chained her to her chair, ignoring her protests. After making sure that she wouldn't be going anywhere, L and Light made their way to the door.

"Wait!" They stopped and looked back at me. "I'm coming too." Light looked like he wanted to protest but instead waited silently for L's response. L stared at me intently then let out a sigh.

"Fine." I eagerly ran after them with a smile.

I found myself in a helicopter for the first time in my life and afterlife…it was an incredible experience but the weight of the situation distracted me from my wonder and awe. It also didn't help that I was sitting in the back across from Watari, who was preparing a rifle.

"I didn't know you could operate a helicopter. Ryuzaki." Light said, seeking to make conversation and distract us from the serious situation.

"At this point Light, nothing surprises me about Ryuzaki." I said with a fond smile as I stuck my head between the two. The two smiled and said nothing more.

Higuchi made it to Sakura TV and was confronted by Mr. Yagami, Wedy, Aiber and Mogi but still managed to get away by shooting Mr. Yagami. I knew he was going to be fine but it was still nice to hear that it wasn't a serious wound. Higuchi fled, ignoring all traffic rules but was surprisingly cut off by a horde of police cars.

"I told the police not to get involved." L said to himself as we viewed the scene from above.

"It's Aizawa."

I couldn't help but smile at seeing the temperamental man again; I was fond of him despite what he had said about L. We went to land behind Higuchi but he attempted to drive under us, making me grip the back of L's seat in fear. Watari quickly put a stop to that. Clearly desperate, Higuchi pulled out his gun and pointed it at himself but Watari put a stop to that as well. I felt slight fear towards the old man but reminded myself that he was a gentle soul. We finally landed safely.

"It's over." Light said with slight disbelief but also relief.

"Yes…it's over." L agreed.

 _It's not over yet,_ I thought, that feeling of dread returning but this time so much stronger.

We watched as Mr. Yagami, Mogi and Aizawa went to handcuff Higuchi. Higuchi had completely given up at that point and revealed the existence of the Death Note without much prompting. I knew what was coming next but I still flinched horribly when Mr. Yagami let out a cry of fear when he saw Rem. Mogi attempted to comfort the man but ended up in the same state upon touching the notebook.

"Bring the notebook to me."

I hated hearing those words come from L's lips but knew that I couldn't stop him. He picked the notebook up gingerly just like he did everything else then turned to look where the two had looked. I was prepared for a scream but none came. He was completely fixated on Rem though and it was clear that many thoughts were running through his mind right then.

"They really do exist," was all he said.

He didn't even notice how Light reached for the notebook…but I did. It seemed as if it was happening in slow motion with there being plenty of time for me to stop him. However, my body wouldn't move. L noticed after a second that the notebook was no longer in his grip and turned to look at Light.

Light looked to be frozen in time with a look of horror and pain plastered on his face. He then let out a scream that shook my very core. It went on for a couple seconds but it felt so much longer to me. L asked Light if he was okay. I heard the change in Light in his very voice as he responded; I didn't need to look him in the eye to know that he was Kira once again.

Light went to take care of Higuchi to make sure he kept his memories, using the notebook clipping hidden in his watch. I felt the strong urge to rip the notebook from his grasp before the forty seconds were up but was stopped once again by something inside me that I couldn't identify. Everyone stared in shock at Higuchi's corpse but I found myself looking at what I could see of Light's face, which wasn't much.

Throughout the ride back to headquarters, I couldn't shake the feeling that I had just made a huge mistake.


	31. Not Over Yet

I felt whole again now that I was Kira once more but also extremely content and satisfied. I felt the strong urge to embrace Akishi the moment I stepped off the helicopter but knew it would look suspicious so I gave an affectionate smile instead. She stared at me then gave one of her own, which was far too hesitant for my liking. I didn't let it bother me though, instead I relished in the feel of seeing her again with my memories intact; I couldn't explain it but my heart just swelled with this warm feeling. The intensity of the feeling faded, though the feeling itself was still there, and I was able to focus on how my plan had gone. Everything so far had gone according to plan except for one thing.

I glanced Akishi's way as the other members gathered around to touch the notebook and read the rules written inside it.

 _She wasn't supposed to get involved in the investigation,_  I thought, feeling a hint of regret.

It wasn't that I didn't want her around or thought that she would turn me in but because I knew it would hurt her to be around me. Without my memories I couldn't understand her or comfort her when she needed me to. Every meaningful conversation and moment I had with her was forgotten for so long.

 _It must've been hard,_ I thought as I gazed discreetly at her.  _That's probably why she spent so much time with L._

I felt my blood start to boil at the reminder; I didn't blame her for seeking L out over me but I still hated how close they seemed to have become. The memory of the day Akishi tried to attack Misa came back to me. I hated Misa for what she had said to her but I hated L more for not letting me go after Akishi.

 _I should have been the one to comfort her, not him._  It was hard but I somehow managed to stop myself from striking out at L right then. I got angrier and angrier the more I thought about how they had acted around each other; I couldn't wait to kill him.

 _I have my memories back so she'll come back to me. I don't have to worry about him taking her from me anymore,_ I reminded myself.

**"She's mine."**

I looked around, searching for the source of the faint voice but no one besides L was near me and it certainly wasn't him. Everyone else was gathered around the notebook still looking over the rules.

_Did no one else hear that?_

I was concerned; not just by the fact that I was suddenly hearing voices but also by how it had sounded so much like my own. I pushed my concern to the back of my mind as Aizawa began reading the fake rules I had Ryuk write.

"If the user of the Death Note fails to consecutively write names within 13 days of each other, then the user will die."

"That means that Light and Misa are completely cleared, right?" Matsuda asked, hopeful and excited. There were several sighs of relief with the biggest coming from my father.

"It was impossible for them to write in the notebook during their confinement and yet they are still alive." I glanced at L to see his reaction. He was staring into space while nibbling on his thumbnail. It was obvious to me that he was contemplating the legitimacy of the rule.

_He still refuses to give up his belief that I'm Kira…stubborn fool._

"There's another rule written here." Aizawa said, drawing everyone's attention back to the notebook. "If a person makes this notebook unusable by tearing it up or burning it, all the humans who have touched the Death Note will die."

"No way! I wish I had know that before I touched it." Matsuda exclaimed.

"So if we destroy it, then everyone here will die." Ide elaborated, staring down at the notebook.

"Not everyone…" Aizawa muttered, turning to look at the sole person sitting on the couch. Everyone, including myself, followed his gaze. Akishi looked back at us, looking neither bothered nor surprised by the sudden attention.

"That's right…she hasn't touched it yet." Ide said, looking suspiciously at her. I had to stop myself from insulting the man in her defense. She sat there silently, taking in the suspicious looks.

Akishi's POV:

It was better that I not touch the Death Note at all, as the touch of another shinigami might lead to a change in ownership between shinigami. However, it was hard to pretend that I couldn't see Rem without being obvious, which was how I ended up sitting on the couch, staring into space. I still heard what everyone was saying though. I knew Aizawa was talking about me so I looked his way and saw everyone staring at me. Matsuda immediately spoke up to defend me.

"Woah! You don't think-"

"You want me to touch it?" I interrupted him, standing up. "Fine."

I noticed L open his mouth to say something, looking slightly panicked, but he stopped himself. Everyone's eyes, including Rem's, were on me as I made my way over and grasped one of the corners. I quickly released the notebook as I felt its energy respond to my touch. Thankfully, there was no change in ownership between Rem and me. I looked Rem's way and pretended to act startled and surprised by her appearance. Suspicions put to rest for the moment; the task force started discussing Higuchi's death. It was then that L spoke up.

"I believe there is another Death Note somewhere and the owner of it is the one who killed Higuchi."

"So the case isn't over yet." The task members sighed, beyond tired at that point.

"We don't have any leads yet either…we'll have to wait till he starts killing again." L continued. The task members proceeded to leave the room to rest after the exciting day with L, Light, Rem and I remaining in the room.

"Ryuzaki." Light suddenly spoke up, drawing our attention. "How about another game of chess now that we have the time?" He gave L a disarming smile, masking his true intentions.

 _He wants to get him back for the last game,_  I noticed.

L seemed reluctant but agreed anyway. The pieces were set up and the game was quickly underway. This time around Light was ruthless and didn't hesitate to make sacrifices in his pursuit of victory. Both lost many pieces but it ended with L stuck in a corner.

"Checkmate." Light smirked, as he knocked over L's king. L sat there silently, staring at him with calculating eyes. He said nothing beyond a congratulatory comment though.

 _He's noticed that Light has changed but can't do anything about it without proof…Light knows this and is taking advantage of it,_ I thought, wondering where things were going to go from there.


	32. Unsettling Thoughts

Now that we were cleared of suspicion there was no longer any need for me and Misa to be watched 24/7, which also meant that Misa could no longer stay at headquarters. I certainly wasn't going to miss the handcuffs or Misa. Matsuda seemed to be the only one sad to see her go; L and Akishi weren't even there to see her off, not surprising really. This meant that they were alone together right then but I ignored that in favor of giving Misa instructions to find Ryuk's notebook.

I waited till the others gave us some privacy and brought her into my arms. I ignored the way she clung to me and whispered into her ear. I made sure my back was to the camera as I told her where to find the notebook. She listened quietly, eager to do anything for me. I sent her off and watched her go for a second before making my way back to the others. Neither L nor Akishi was in the main room with the others.

_Where are they?_

**"They better not be together somewhere."**

There was that voice again. I still didn't know the cause of this strange voice but didn't think much of it, though I found myself agreeing with it often for it seemed as if it was expressing my own thoughts. I left the room to head to the roof, where Akishi would most likely be. I was prepared to see them there together, though I didn't know what I would have done if I had, but she was the only one there. She was leaning against the railing, staring at the world around us; one place in particular not too far away held most of her attention.

"Looking at the cemetery again?" I asked as I made my way over to her. She looked back at me but said nothing as I approached. She stared silently at me then turned her head back around without a word. I was bothered by her lack of response so I asked a different question.

"Where's L?"

"Talking with Watari." She replied easily.

 **"So she responds as soon as we talk about him."**  I ignored the voice and focused on her instead.

"What's wrong?" I asked, leaning closer to see her face better.

"Nothing." She said after a moment of silence. Her voice was too quiet and weak for that to be true but I didn't pry.

_She'll tell me when she's ready._

I reached forward and gently turned her to face me. Not wanting to give her the chance to pull away, I quickly wrapped my arms around her and held her close. She didn't tense up or pull away but she didn't return my embrace either.

"I'm so happy to be back here with you like this." I confessed earnestly, holding her even tighter. She remained silent and still then slowly brought her hands up to grip the back of my shirt.

"I missed you." She admitted, her voice soft and quiet.

I wanted to tell her that I missed her too but it hadn't been possible for me to miss her since I had no real memories of her so I held her closer and gently ran my hand over her hair. I was very reluctant to let her go but it was only a matter of time before L noticed our absence if he hadn't already.

I slowly released her and grabbed hold of her hands. I just stood there, staring into her eyes and she stared right back, looking uncertain. She opened her mouth but whatever she was going to say was interrupted by the door opening. L said nothing as he stood there watching us. His eyes lingered on our joined hands but he still said nothing. I probably didn't hide my glare well but I didn't care.

**"He just won't stop getting in the way."**

Akishi slowly slipped her hands from mine and walked towards L. L stepped aside to let her pass, which she did without looking back or saying a word. L and I both watched her go then our gazes met once she was out of sight. There was a clear tension in the air as we silently stared at each other or glared in my case. Not wanting to be left alone with him, I made my way to the door.

"Might I ask what you two were discussing?" L asked suddenly when we were shoulder to shoulder.

"Something personal." I replied tensely, allowing my upset to seep into my words. At that point I didn't care that my response would make him suspicious; I just wanted to get away from him.

 **"Or hurt him."**  The voice supplied.

_If only I could._

L said nothing more and followed behind me, no doubt ignoring my obvious hints at wanting to be away from him.

_He's probably following me just to annoy me._

Akishi wasn't in the main room with the other like I was hoping.

_She must be in her room…but why? Something really must be wrong. If only he hadn't interrupted us._

I glared at L as he made his way over to the couches. He perched on one of the cushions and started questioning Rem about the notebook. He focused mostly on the two rules written in the back but Rem said nothing that hinted to the falseness of the rules.

Akishi came into the room a while later as L was questioning Rem about a page of the notebook that was missing a piece. She stopped in the doorway and just stared at L, who was too involved in his questions to notice but I noticed…and I didn't like it. I really wanted to know why she was staring at him with such concern so I looked his way. He looked the same as he normally did but, after looking closer, I noticed that there was a faint reluctance and sadness in his voice and eyes even as he continued questioning Rem.

 _What's wrong with him?_  I wondered, more curious than concerned.

I looked back towards Akishi who was still staring. Our eyes met as she turned to leave. She looked startled upon meeting my eyes and almost…guilty? She quickly retreated before I could call out to her.

 _Why would she feel guilty? Why would she run?_  I wondered, a terrible feeling slowly overtaking me.  _She wouldn't betray me,_ I reassured myself.

 **"** **She better not."**  I was startled by how threatening the voice suddenly sounded and that it had been in response to Akishi.

 _She won't,_  I mentally replied, feeling the need to defend her against this mysterious voice. The voice said nothing more.  _She won't betray me,_  I told myself again but that terrible, uneasy feeling just wouldn't go away.


	33. The Start of Something New

Misa came by to visit Light a couple days later. I immediately noticed that Ryuk was with her and that her lifespan had been halved again. I heard Rem gasp behind me but didn't turn to look at her so as not to draw attention to her. Light went to meet her and L, for some reason, left the room to go elsewhere.

I found that strange so I went looking for him. It took awhile but I found him on the main stairs of one of the higher floors. Sunlight flooded in through the many windows and illuminated his solitary form.

"Ryuzaki?"

He looked back at me as I approached him. I sat down next to him on the steps, wondering about the now constant melancholy look on his face. He understood the question before I even got to ask.

"I was thinking about how things will be after the case is solved." His voice was soft and sad.

"How do you think things will be?"

"The team and I will go our separate ways…I'll be alone again." He sounded so alone as he said this; I felt my heart aching for him.

"You've always been alone haven't you?" I had a feeling I already knew the answer.

"Watari has always been with me but…yes…I've been alone." He turned his head to face me and it was then that I realized how close we were sitting.

"You know what it's like, don't you? To be alone for so long." I was shocked that he could tell.

"How…?"

"I can see it in your eyes." He stared silently into my eyes and brought a hand up towards my cheek. He stopped right before my cheek though and just kept his hand close.

"You shouldn't have to be alone."

Being that close, I was able to see specks of blue in those dark eyes of his and was captivated by the emotions that were unusually visible in them.

"Neither should you." I replied unconsciously, still caught up in his powerful gaze.

We said nothing more as we sat there, staring at each other. The world around us seemed to fade away as L slowly leaned towards me, his legs stretching out to make the movement easier. All I was aware of was the closing distance, his approaching heat and my racing heart. I felt a strange tingle as his hand finally made contact with my cheek and I found my eyes slipping closed along with his. I knew what was about to happen but I couldn't understand why it was. I wasn't even sure how I felt about this; there were too many emotions for me to really distinguish one in particular. However, I knew that this wasn't right.

 _He doesn't know what I am…I should stop him._  I made no move to stop him though, despite my thoughts.

"How sweet…the freak and the monster are together."

The sudden voice shocked us both and we quickly put distance between us. We looked up and saw Light watching us from the top of the stairs with cold, cruel eyes. I felt a fierce pain in my chest as Light's words finally registered in my mind. I sat there, unable to move.

_Monster? I thought he...is that really how he sees me?_

I felt tears form in my eyes and spill down my face but I wasn't aware of anything else other than that and the pain in my heart. I couldn't even hear L talking to me though I saw his lips moving. I suddenly regained control over my body enough for me to stand up and run past Light. I didn't even know where I was going…I just kept running.

Light's POV:

I stared after Akishi, horrified by what I had said.

_Why did I call her a monster? She did nothing to deserve that._

**"She betrayed me."**

_No, she didn't,_ I snapped back at the voice.

**"Yes, she did…she's chosen him over me."**

_No._

**"She didn't stop him…she wanted him to kiss her."**

_That's not true,_ I tried to convince myself. However, I couldn't ignore the voice's words, which were sounding more and more true.

"Light." L suddenly called out to me. I could tell that he was angry with me but he didn't act on his anger.

"Watari just told me that Akishi has left headquarters. Where would she go?" I was reluctant to tell him but I knew that she needed someone with her right then and it certainly couldn't be me.

**"She would send me away. She wants to be with him…not me."**

"Light!" L suddenly snapped at me, trying to get my attention. "Where would she go?" He asked again. He was glaring at me now, blaming me for hurting her.

"The cemetery." I reluctantly replied with a slight grimace. L turned and left me there without saying another word.

 **"She means nothing to me."** I didn't even bother trying to argue with the voice; I just silently listened to the toxic words as I walked away.

L's POV:

I would be lying if I said I understood why Light's words had such an impact on Akishi but I knew that she shouldn't be alone. Watari had to stay at headquarters so I had to walk to the cemetery on my own. Thankfully, it wasn't very far away from headquarters. The image of her tears and distraught expression kept flashing in my mind as I quickly made my way there. I was almost desperate to get there and comfort her.

It was a large cemetery so I expected it to be hard to find her but I saw her in the distance from my place at the gate. Not used to so much exercise, I was slightly out of breath by the time I reached her. She was sitting on a stone bench with her knees drawn up to her chest. She was staring at the grave in front of the bench with tears still spilling down her face. I glanced at the gravestone and read the name.

_Satoshi Takigawa_

_1894-1924_

_Why is she sitting in front of this grave?_  I pushed the question to the back of my mind as I focused back on her.

"Akishi." I gently called out to her.

She jumped slightly and quickly turned her head to look at me. She seemed genuinely shocked to see me there, not surprising since I was known to not go outside unless I had to. I went to sit down and she scooted over to give me enough room. We sat there in silence for a moment.

"I'm sorry." She choked on her tears as she spoke but continued speaking anyway. "I didn't meant to leave headquarters…I just-" She broke out into sobs before she could finish.

I found myself observing her as she cried even though it hurt me to see her in this much pain, though I wasn't entirely sure why it did. Her sobs were very quiet but her body shook with each one.

"Why would he call me that?" She suddenly asked though it was clear that she wasn't looking to me for an answer. "He knew that would hurt me…so why?" I wanted to ask her why that word in particular caused such pain but even I knew that that would be insensitive so I didn't. However, she somehow realized what I was thinking.

_She's always been good at reading me._

"You want to know why that would hurt me?" She looked at me; her sobs subsided for the moment. I gave a hesitant nod. Her eyes drifted to that gravestone again before she spoke. "I see myself as a monster." I somehow managed to withhold my protest and wait for her to explain.

_Why would she think such a thing?_

"I don't feel up to explaining why right now…just know that I do." I was disappointed that she didn't tell me the reason but I said nothing as she continued speaking.

"Hearing Light call me a monster made it seem more true…made it seem like I really am just a monster." She hugged her knees to her chest and hid her face and tears from me. I found myself staring at that gravestone as I contemplated what to say to her. I ultimately decided to just be entirely honest for once.

"I don't really understand so it might not be right for me to say this but…" I looked her way and met her curious, vulnerable gaze. "I don't think you're a monster." She stared at me with those pained eyes then looked away with a sigh.

"You're right…it isn't." She smiled after a moment and looked back up at me. "But thank you."

Her eyes were still shining with tears but her smile seemed genuine. I gave her a smile of my own and looked up at the tall buildings beyond the cemetery fence. I jumped slightly when I felt a sudden weight on my shoulder. Looking down, I saw that she was leaning her head there and resting against me with her eyes closed. She looked so peaceful so I let her stay there. Honestly, I wasn't opposed to the position; it gave me a sort of peace that I couldn't really explain. However, I didn't bask in the moment for long.

I thought back to what had happened between us that lead to this situation and tried to figure out the overall cause. Honestly, the whole incident confused me. I knew what a kiss was and the significance of it but I couldn't understand why I had felt the strong urge to do such a thing with her.  _A kiss is meant to be done between two people who care deeply about each other. So why…?_

_Do I really care for her that much?_

I looked back down at that peaceful face and thought about my time with the strange girl and all the emotions I had felt. I had never cared for anyone deeply before besides Watari so I wasn't really sure how I felt towards the girl. However, I recognized that whatever I felt was strong…and was getting stronger.

_This isn't good…I don't even know her part in this case. I can't afford to get any closer to her before I figure that out. But…what if she too is Kira? What will I do then?_

I knew that I would have to arrest her if she turned out to be guilty but I found that I couldn't stand the idea of doing such a thing to her. However, I needed to know the truth so I decided to confront her the next day; I couldn't bring myself to do it then when she had just gone through such turmoil. Though I was determined, I was also very reluctant. For the first time in my life, I was afraid to uncover the truth.


	34. Enough

It was hard to bring myself to enter the main room the next day but I knew I couldn't avoid Light for long and I also wanted to ask him about what he planned to do next. I took a deep breath and opened the door. My eyes were instantly locked with Light's as he turned to look at me. I was hoping there would be regret or an apology in those eyes but all I saw was anger and accusation. I looked down to avoid his glare and did my best to suppress the ache in my chest.

 _It's too soon…I should have waited._ I stepped back through the doorway and fled to the roof.

L's POV:

It was really admirable of Akishi to face Light instead of avoiding him but it clearly wasn't the best idea as it took only one glare from Light to send her running. I gave Light a glare of my own but he ignored me.

"What's going on?" Matsuda asked, looking between Light, the door and me.

He gave a small yelp when I turned my glare on him. He and the others quickly got back to work and asked no further questions about what had just happened. I looked back at Light to see if he had finally had a change of heart but he was still glaring at his computer screen. I got up with a sigh and walked towards the door, ignoring the stares of Matsuda and the others.

I took my time getting to the roof, thinking about what I had sworn to do the day before. I was still afraid to confront her but I really needed to know the truth now that I was preparing to prove Light's guilt. I walked out onto the roof and stood there, staring at her. I could tell that she knew I was there but she didn't turn to face me.

 _I'm not going to find a better time,_ I told myself as I prepared to confront her.

"I wish to share my thoughts on the case with you." I said as I took several steps closer to her. She glanced back at me for a second then turned her head back towards the horizon.

"Alright." Her voice was rather lifeless, like she had closed herself off.

"I know for sure that Light and Misa are Kira and I believe the 13 day rule is fake." There was no reaction from her but I continued anyway. "There's only one thing that I haven't been able to figure out."

"And what's that?" She asked as she looked back at me again.

"You." She finally turned to face me. "I can't figure out your part in all this." I expected her to say something in her defense but she kept quiet.

"I know you have something to do with Kira, Light losing some memories of you proves that. However, I don't know whether you just knew that Light was Kira or whether you have been Kira yourself. If you just have knowledge then that's fine…I won't necessarily have to arrest you along with Light. But…if you are Kira or you have been Kira then I will have no choice but to arrest you. Honestly, I rather you not have anything to do with Kira but I know that it would be foolish to believe such a thing."

I waited anxiously for some response from her. She looked away at one point then met my eyes once more before speaking.

"I'm sorry, Ryuzaki."

I felt my heart drop at her words but then she continued speaking. "I can't claim to have no connection to Kira." She took a slight pause with a slight look of uncertainty. "However, I can tell you that I have never killed as Kira."

I was overcome with a relief so strong that, without thinking, I stepped forward and wrapped my arms around her. She tensed but made no move to escape my grip. I told myself that it was possible that she was lying to me but my instincts were telling me that she wasn't.

"That's enough." I whispered in her ear as I held her tighter.

 _I won't have to arrest her…I'm so glad._  My phone started vibrating so I was forced to release her to answer it.

"Ryuzaki." Watari's voice came through, sounding urgent.

"What is it?"

"Kira has begun killing again."

I didn't really know how to react to the news but knew it was time to return to the others. I told her that something had happened and she agreed to go back to the main room with me even though Light was there. We turned to go back inside but the sudden sound of bells made me stop. I looked towards the cemetery where the church bells were ringing.

_Wonder what's going on._

"It's a funeral." I heard Akishi say to herself.

I turned and gazed at her dejected expression, wondering why she had assumed that it was a funeral and what she was thinking about. I got this ominous feeling while listening to those bells that I didn't wish to explain or understand. Hoping to escape said feeling, I quickly retreated into the building. The others already knew about the killings and were discussing it when we got to the room.

"This means we're dealing with yet another Kira." Aizawa said, causing Matsuda to groan.

"Not again."

"These killings began as soon as Misa was freed, didn't they?" I spoke as I took my seat.

"Ryuzaki, I can't believe you're still saying that. She has nothing to do with this! This started as soon as Higuchi died." Light spoke up in Misa's defense. I knew that Misa was doing the killing but there was no point in arguing with Light at this point without physical evidence.

"That's true." I temporarily conceded. "If there is another notebook floating around out there and someone is now using it to kill criminals, I'll just have to bring that person to justice." I barely stopped myself from glaring at Light as I said this.

"Ryuzaki, I've been thinking. Even if we do manage to catch the person who's been writing names in the notebook, will we really be able to legally convict and punish them for mass homicide?" Light suddenly asked.

"What? Of course we can convict them! This guy's intentionally writing names in the notebook knowing that these people are going to die. Even if we don't plan on publicly acknowledging the notebook, the least we can do is execute the killer!" Matsuda responded passionately. I heard Akishi make a distressed noise but the others didn't notice.

"It's not a very humane way to do things, but the higher-ups would probably wanna take measures like that." Aizawa supplied his own opinion and the others agreed.

I could feel everyone's eyes on me, waiting for my own answer. However, I couldn't bring myself to say anything in fear of causing Akishi more distress. The others eventually went back to talking amongst themselves but I couldn't hear them; the sound of those bells was filling my head once more and that ominous feeling returned.

I glanced at Akishi and found that she was staring at me with conflicted eyes. She seemed completely lost in thought, as she didn't notice my staring. Any relief I felt from earlier was gone…and replaced by a feeling of dread and sadness.


	35. Turning Point

_Where am I?_

I was falling through darkness. I gasped as I was suddenly engulfed in a warm yet cold liquid, causing my mouth to be filled with the taste of cooper. I swam quickly to the surface and coughed out the foul liquid. I brought a hand up and watched the red liquid spill over my palm.

"Is this…blood?"

I didn't really need to ask. Frantic and horrified, I tried to find somewhere I could pull myself out but there was no such place. I let out a cry when I felt a hand grab my ankle. I struggled to free myself but more hands proceeded to grab hold of my legs and waist. Nothing I did seemed to work.

Through my struggling, I saw someone standing on top of the blood a few feet away as if it was solid ground. I looked closely at the person and was relieved to see that it was Light. My smile quickly fell when I saw that he was smirking at me. I was suddenly unable to move as he began laughing, the Death Note tucked securely under his arm. The arms pulled me down further and I thought I was going to die even though I was technically already dead.

I was about to give up hope but then there was an outstretched hand right before my eyes. I looked up and saw L reaching out to me. The reassuring smile he gave me brought tears to my eyes. I somehow freed my arm and went to grab his hand but his eyes suddenly went wider than usual and his hand dropped. His name and lifespan disappeared before my very eyes.

"No." I barely heard my own horrified whisper.

Light laughed even harder as L's legs gave out and his body fell into the arms' waiting embrace. He was now sinking along with me but with no resistance. I began struggling once more but this time to go down after him but those damn hands kept me from reaching him. My vision eventually faded and my body went limp as I was forced to breath in the blood…I heard Light's laughter even then.

I shot up awake in my bed with a breathless gasp. I sat silently, regretting my decision to sleep as my heart pounded in my chest and ears. A sudden flash of lightening outside my window startled me, making me even more on edge. My mind kept dwelling on what I had seen in my nightmare and the meaning behind it.

 _That's right…Light's going to kill him. How could I have forgotten that?_ I gripped my chest as my heart ached terribly at the thought of L dying.

_I can't let that happen…but what do I do? How do I stop this? How do I save them both?_

A knock on my door broke me out of my thoughts. I got out of bed and carefully made my way through the room, which was still dark because of the storm. I tried to compose myself before opening the door but any remaining composure I had shattered when I saw who was knocking on my door.

"Akishi-" L started speaking but stopped when he got a good look at my face.

I must have looked so haunted and horrified. Seeing him so soon after that nightmare was too much of a shock for me. My legs gave out but he caught me before I hit the floor. He kneeled on the ground and cradled me in his arms.

"Are you alright?" He asked worriedly, checking my forehead for a fever. I couldn't get my voice to work so I just nodded. He frowned, clearly not reassured. His hand drifted down from my forehead and caressed my cheek, soothing me. I calmed my breathing and finally got my voice to work again.

"I'm fine…just a nightmare."

He still looked worried but he didn't ask about it, which was good since I really didn't want to tell him. He helped me get to my feet and walked me over to the couch in my room, switching on the lights as we entered. I sunk down onto the couch, leaning my head back against the headrest, and let out a long sigh. I closed my eyes and tried to forget the nightmare. L stood to the side, watching me.

"What did you need me for?" I asked without lifting my head or opening my eyes.

"I was wondering what was keeping you from joining us." I looked up at him.

"Has something happened?"

"There is something I wish to discuss with everyone."

I stared at him then silently stood up to get ready. I had an idea about what he was going to tell everyone and I wasn't looking forward to Light's reaction. Many outraged questions were thrown L's way the moment we stepped into the main room.

"Ryuzaki, what's the meaning of this?"

"You got permission to use the notebook for a execution?"

"How could you?" L let out a faint sigh but walked right past them without a word.

"Good work, Watari." He said as he sat in front of his computer, where the Death note was lying open. He picked up the spoon that had been left for him to stir his coffee and tapped it against one of the pages.

"I'm going to test the notebook." There were outcries from all the task members but he ignored them and continued to explain his test. I kept myself far behind everyone and just watched them try to convince L not to go through with the test.

"There's no time." L suddenly snapped at them, startling everyone.

"If we do this, the entire case will be solved."

L's serious declaration was accompanied by a loud crash of thunder from the fierce storm. Everyone was silent as they took in his words. I tensed as an awful, suffocating feeling of dread consumed me.

 _Something's wrong,_  I thought, quickly looking around the room. I immediately noticed that Rem was no longer around and instinctively understood what that meant. I turned and ran out of the room.

_She's going to kill him. No! I won't let her._

I concluded that she was going to try and kill Watari as well since he was L's right hand man so I made my way to the control room. It probably would have been faster had I phased through the floor but I couldn't think clearly because of my panic and desperation. I ignored the burning of my lungs and ran as fast as I could. I was forced to stop when I reached the door to the control room. I cursed when I saw that the door needed a code before it would open.

 _I don't have time for this,_  I thought as I phased through the door. I instantly saw Rem standing behind Watari, notebook in hand.

"No!" I screamed as I charged forward.

Both turned to look at me just as I crashed right into Rem, trying to take her notebook away. My momentum caused us to slam into Watari's chair. The man was sent tumbling as the chair fell over. I winced as the man hit his head on the edge of the desk. I glanced at him as I struggled to pry the Death Note from Rem's grasp and saw that he wasn't moving.

It wasn't long before Rem managed to throw me off. She immediately went to write in the notebook as I got back on my feet.

"Don't kill L!" I yelled desperately. She actually paused to stare at me. "Please." I begged, tears spilling down my face.

"You wish to save him?" Rem asked me, still positioned to write.

"Yes! I promise I'll keep Misa safe…just don't kill him." I continued to beg and plead; knowing she understood what I was going through and hoping she would be sympathetic.

"You wish to save him despite knowing what will happen to you?"

"Yes. I'll be fine. I can't just let him die. Please." She was silent for a moment then slowly lowered the notebook.

"Keep her safe…or he dies."

I nodded just as the door opened behind me. I heard several gasps as the task members took in the scene. Rem quickly phased out of the room as L ran to check on Watari. There was blood on the old man's forehead but there was no serious damage. Seeing L, alive and well, was a great relief to me. My relief didn't last long though…

"AHHH!"

All my strength in my legs vanished and I fell to my knees as a sudden onslaught of pain assaulted my senses. It felt like my very nerves were on fire and about to melt. My scream died out and I collapsed to the ground, as I was suddenly unable to breath.

"Akishi!"

I heard L call out to me. I felt someone turn me over and cradle me in his arms. I forced my eyes open and saw L staring down at me with worried, fearful eyes. The others also gathered around, no doubt they all thought Kira had written my name down but I knew better. I recognized the pain for what it was…a warning…a reminder…a punishment. A shinigami is not meant to save the life of a human. The only reason I was not worried was that I hadn't used my notebook to save L; if I had then I would surely have died like Gelus did.

I somehow managed to lock eyes with Light during all the chaos. He was frozen in place in the doorway and was staring at me in absolute shock. There was also regret and concern in those eyes with no hint of anger or accusation. I was relieved to see those kind eyes of his once more. I felt my strength slipping away but I couldn't give in without reassuring L first.

I somehow managed to raise my arm up and caress his cheek even though the contact was pure agony on my burning nerves. I couldn't contain my flinch of pain though when he covered my hand with his. He gave me his full attention, ready to hear what he probably believed to be my final words. I looked into his tormented, heartbroken eyes and managed a small smile.

"It's okay…I'll be…fine." I managed to choke out those words before I fell unconscious.


	36. Acceptance and Understanding

I slowly returned to consciousness and immediately wished not to; I was sore all over and my head pounded.

_That was worse than I thought it would be,_  I thought with a groan. However, I knew that I wouldn't hesitate to do it again if I needed to.

I carefully brought my arm up to cover my face before slowly opening my eyes. I almost expected there to be burn marks all over my skin but there were no marks to show the pain I had experienced.

I let out a heavy sigh, as I finally understood the gravity of what I had done; I went against Light's plans to save L's life. I saved L…but basically abandoned Light to do it. I regretted my actions but at the same time…I didn't. It wasn't right for L to die that way; he's dedicated his life to catching criminals and is doing what he believes is right with as little sacrifices as possible…unlike Light. The difference between the two was painfully obvious at that point but there were other more important things to focus on.

_What do I do now?_

I let out another sigh and looked around the infirmary. I was startled to see that I wasn't alone in the room like I had originally thought. L was sitting by my bedside like the last time I was here, though he was just curled up in the chair instead of perched on it. I was shocked to see that he was actually sleeping in the chair. Having never seen him like this, I was captivated by the peaceful expression he wore.

I moved further down the bed and swung my legs over the side. I sat there and took in the unusual but endearing sight. My hand slowly came forward, as if I was in a trance, and gently cupped his cheek. I felt tears form in my eyes as I took in the warmth of his skin.

_He's really alive._

I was so relieved to see that I hadn't failed him and that Rem hadn't gone back on her promise. I caressed his cheek and reveled in the feel of it; I could practically feel the life flowing through him. I didn't notice him stir but I definitely noticed when those dark eyes opened and locked with mine. We were stuck at a standstill for a moment then his hand came up to grab hold of mine. He pulled my hand away from his face then brought his own hand up to mine. He continued to hold my hand as he gently brushed away my tears. Looking into those eyes, I saw that he was just as relieved as I was.

"How are you feeling?" His voice was gentle and soft.

"Fine." He gave a faint smile but it faded as he took on a more serious look. He drew his hand back and released his hold on my hand. I was disappointed at the loss of contact but had been prepared for questions.

"How did you get into the control room?"

_That's not the question I was expecting._

"I cracked the code on the door." I lied. He frowned at me.

"You're lying."

_Damn._

"Watari let me in." I tried again but he just shook his head. I sighed. "What do you expect me to say?" He looked a bit startled and uncertain. He looked away as he contemplated an answer.

"I don't know…but I want the truth." He looked back at me, eyes burning with serious determination.

_What do I do now? I can't tell him the truth…or can I?_

A plan started forming in my mind. It was risky and would no doubt lead to Light's arrest if it failed but there was no going back at that point.

_Light will be arrested even if I do nothing._ I took a deep breath and faced L, ready to tell him the truth.

L's POV:

I had never felt such terror, panic and heartbreak before as I did the moment Akishi collapsed to the floor in the control room. It had been so sudden; one moment I was checking on Watari and the next I hear her cry out in extreme pain. I thought she was about to die…and that terrified me.

I held her in my arms, foolishly hoping that would keep her with me, and prayed to the god I didn't believe in. I wanted to scream and plead at her to not leave me but my throat was too clogged up with all my emotions. I felt so powerless…what good was all my intelligence if I couldn't use it to save her? I didn't question why I felt this extreme need to save her; I just knew that I had to.

I felt my heart break even more when she used the last of her strength to caress my cheek and reassure me that she was going to be fine. My heart stopped when those captivating eyes closed and her body went lax in my arms. I felt a scream pushing its way through my clogged throat but it stopped just before my lips when I felt a steady thump in the wrist I was holding against my face.

Filled with hope, I frantically checked for a pulse. It was faint but there was a steady pulse, meaning she was still alive. I informed the others and they rushed to get her to the infirmary. I reluctantly handed her over to Aizawa and Mr. Yagami, knowing I wouldn't have the strength to carry her there myself. I forced myself to stand as Watari regained conciousness. I helped him to the infirmary, ignoring Light, who was staring after the men carrying Akishi, and helped him patch up his forehead. I was then forced to wait in anxious anticipation for the moment Akishi awoke.

I had gone over the survellience footage of Akishi and Rem in the control room many times while Akishi recovered. Unfortunately, there was no audio for the footage but it was clear that Akishi had somehow talked Rem out of killing Watari and me. I wanted to know how and why she did it but for some reason my mind kept going back to the question of how she got into the room in the first place.

I decided to get that question out of the way now that she was awake so I could focus on more important ones. She was clearly caught off guard by the question and, surprisingly, responded with a lie. I was shocked; she rarely lied, in fact I could only recall one time where she had really lied and that was during her confinement. I called her out on her lie but she just lied again.

"What do you expect me to say?" She suddenly asked, looking defeated. I froze.

_What do I expect her to say?_  I wondered.  _Those are the only ways she could have gotten in but I knew they were lies so how did she?_ I couldn't think of an answer no matter how hard I tried.

"I don't know." I reluctantly admitted. "But I want the truth."  _Whatever that may be._

I watched her conflicting emotions flash across her face and waited. She looked back up at me after a moment, clearly determined but also uneasy. I leaned forward slightly when she took a deep breath and opened her mouth. However, no words came out; she was struggling to get the truth out.

_Why? Was it really that bad?_

She gave a frustrated sigh then gestured for me to raise one of my hands. I was beyond confused at that point but still held my hand up with the palm facing her. She lifted her own hand and slowly reached out towards mine. She kept her eyes locked on our hands and I felt inclined to do the same though I had no idea what she planned to do.

She hesitated momentarily when our hands were about an inch apart then finally closed the distance. To my absolute shock, her hand continued forward…through mine. I couldn't feel her hand but could clearly see that her fingers had passed right through my palm. I yanked my hand back so violently that I fell out of my chair. I didn't register the pain from hitting the floor; I just continued to stare up at her in shock.

_How did she…?_  The sight of Rem phasing through the walls of Watari's control room appeared in my mind. With that memory in mind, the answer was clear to me but I didn't want to believe it.

"You're a…shinigami?" She said nothing but her sad, silent stare was all the answer I needed.

_This whole time she's been…that explains so much. She's Light's shinigami; that's how they met…wait that means…_

"You gave him the Death Note." I said as I rose to my feet. I won't deny that there was some outrage behind my words.

_She's the cause of all this._  All my rage faded when I saw the absolute regret and guilt in her eyes.

"Yes…I did. I didn't think that he would use it this way but that's no excuse; I still dropped it, knowing people would die and I never stopped him even though I could have." Tears spilled down her distraught face but I didn't let that distract me from what I had just learned; I had so many questions.

"How can we see you? We never touched your Death Note." That question seemed to upset her even more but she answered anyway.

"I am able to make myself visible to others while in human form whether or not they have touched the notebook." She replied with a resigned sadness.

"Human form? So this is not how you really look?" Having seen Rem, I already knew the answer. She nodded then looked away from me, clearly wishing to escape but making no move to do so. I paused then to really think about all this.

_All this time I've been with a shinigami and didn't know it._  It was still hard to believe. Looking at her, I wouldn't suspect that she was anything but human.

_This is the truth though…I have to accept it and there's only one way to do so._

"Show me your real form." Her head whipped back around and she stared at me with wide eyes. "I want to see it."

I would not let myself be ignorant about this; I didn't want to be able to deny the truth later. She looked so heartbroken and afraid but I would not be deterred. She avoided my gaze as she reached behind her for something I couldn't see. She took a step forward and reached out for my hand again. There was actual contact this time and I felt the smoothness of paper along with her skin.

She dropped the Death Note clipping and walked around the bed so she was no longer boxed in. She faced me and closed her eyes. I watched intently as she clenched her fists and bit her lip, not knowing what to expect.

Her teeth pierced her lip and blood spilled down from the wound as her arms and legs grew in length, skin tearing at the joints to make it possible. I was able to see the bones in her arms and legs become thin and move around to accommodate the change. It was a horrifying sight but I made myself watch.

The intense grimace on her face and quicken breath showed just how painful this was for her but she didn't utter a sound. The torn skin didn't move to cover the bone once more but instead started rotting around the exposed area. Her skin started rotting in other areas as well and her clothes rotted away entirely. However, nothing indecent was exposed for there were no longer any defining female parts; she was becoming just as genderless as Rem.

Surprisingly, her hair remained, though it had lost some of its luster. I nearly retched when I spotted a rotted, shriveled lung through one of the gaps of her semi-exposed ribs. When her transformation was finally complete I forced myself to finally look at her face.

The first thing I noticed was that I could almost see the entire left side of her jawbone and there was no longer any blood on her chin. I brought my gaze up to look into her eyes but there were no such things. There were dirty, old bandages covering her right eye and the left was just an empty socket.

_How can she see anything?_

A gleam of familiar red in the socket caught my attention. Looking at it, I was reminded of the red eye of her human form that always captivated me. I looked her over again, lingering slightly on the Death Note strapped to her waist, and saw no real trace of the girl I thought I knew. I felt lied to, betrayed and heartbroken. It hurt terribly knowing that I developed strong feelings, of what kind I still didn't know, for a girl that didn't really exist.

I went to say something, though I wasn't sure what, but stopped when I saw that the being before me was trembling quite violently. Curious, I stepped closer and looked up at the face, which was now turned away from me. It was really hard to recognize any emotion on that face but the slight soaking of the bandages and the clenched fists told me all I needed to know…she was crying but this form couldn't properly express her pain. Despite her appearance, I felt my heart ache at the knowledge that she was hurting.

I couldn't understand why my feelings for her were still there but then I realized…she was still human. She didn't look human in anyway but she still had feelings like one. Her kindness, strength and spirit were still there; everything about her that I was drawn to remained.

_How can I reject her now?_

I found that I was now more at peace with my feelings towards her and even had some idea about what they were. Determined to accept her for who she really is, I bravely stepped forward and touched the arm closest to me. I shuddered at the horrible, disgusting feel of the skin but didn't let go. She tensed at the touch and looked down at me from her new height. I couldn't see it in her face but knew she was shocked.

"It's okay." I smiled up at her and felt her relax at my words. We stood like that in peaceful silence for a moment.

"You can change back if you want."

She immediately stepped back to do so. I jumped slightly at the loud crack her bones made when they suddenly snapped. Knowing I would not be able to handle anymore, I occupied myself with picking up the Death Note clipping that was dropped earlier. I stared down at small, innocent-looking piece of paper, wondering what I should do with it. It would have probably been best to dispose of it but I ended up slipping it into my back pocket.

_I might need this later._

"Ryuzaki." I turned around at Akishi's voice. She was now back in human form, smiling at me.

"Thank you." I gave her a smile of my own as I walked forward to caress her cheek. I was glad to see that I felt no reluctance to do so and she seemed to feel the same for she leaned into my touch.

"Is this why you see yourself as a monster?" I asked, recalling the conversation in the cemetery. She nodded, looking nervously to the side.

"I stand by what I said." I said, drawing her attention. "I don't think you're a monster."

She lunged forward to wrap her arms around me. I pushed all my questions to the side for the moment and held her as she cried out her relief and happiness. The great, soothing warmth in my chest told me that I had made the right choice in accepting her.


	37. The Deal

I sat on the bed of the room I shared with L, still in shock over what had happened. I couldn't get the sight of Akishi passing out in L's arms or the sound of her scream out of my mind.

**"She ruined everything."** I threw my hands over my ears, hoping that doing so would drown the voice out but knew that it wouldn't.

**"She betrayed me again."**

_Shut up._

**"She deserved what happened."**

"SHUT UP!"

I didn't care that I was shouting in a room that probably had cameras…I just wanted that damn voice to stop.

"Get out of my head! You're not me! This isn't me. I'd never want her to suffer."

**"She's probably revealing everything to him right now."**

"I don't care!"

I paused at my own words, surprised to find that I honestly didn't care at that point. The plan was ruined anyway, as there was no way I could bring myself to kill L now that I knew how much Akishi cared for him. Just the thought of putting her through that again made me sick to my stomach. Thinking about it, I realized I always knew how she felt but that voice had talked me into disregarding her feelings.

The knowledge that she potentially cared for L more than me really devastated me and fueled the hatred I had for L. However, there wasn't really anything I could do about that at that point but I couldn't just sit by and do nothing either so I tried to think about what I should do next.

**"I have to kill him or he'll kill me."**

I heard the voice's almost taunting words but didn't respond to them, though it annoyed me that the voice was still speaking as if it were my thoughts. However, its words gave me an idea.

Akishi's POV:

"How did you manage to talk Rem out of killing me?" L asked, looking unfazed by the topic of the conversation.

"Rem cares for Misa, which was why she tried to kill you in the first place, so I promised her that I would keep her safe in exchange for her not killing you." I answered easily from my place on the bed.

"How do you plan to do that?" He spoke with a guarded curiosity, no doubt aware that I could become a hindrance to the case.

"Misa can't be arrested." I said without any hesitation; it was best that L know what needed to be done.

"She's killed hundreds of criminals and even some innocent police officers." He reminded me, slightly outraged, as if I thought she deserved to go free.

"I know that but this is what I promised Rem…If I can't protect Misa then she'll kill you." The thought of that happening still terrified me and caused my heart to ache terribly. "I can't let that happen." I was practically begging him to understand and let Misa go free.

"It wouldn't be right to let her get away with murder." He said, standing by his idea of justice. Normally, I would have been proud of that but it only caused problems this time.

"What if she had no memories of the Death Note? Could you still bring yourself to arrest her?" I asked, knowing this would be enough to convince him. The conflicted look on his face proved me right. He sat in contemplative silence for a bit then gave a heavy sigh.

"You're right…I would have issues arresting her if she had no memories of her crimes." I smiled when I saw that he clearly hated admitting that but was still going to stick by it.

"That's what we have to do."

"How do you plan to convince her to give up ownership?" He asked, pointing out the major issue. However, I already had that figured out.

"She'll do anything if she thinks that's what Light wants. All I have to do is go to her, saying that Light sent me and tell her that he wants her to give up her Death Note. She'll do it and her shinigami won't say anything to stop her."

He looked like he wanted to ask a question, probably about Misa's shinigami, but didn't. There was a moment of silence after he begrudgingly agreed to the plan.

"I want to do the same with Light." I said without hesitation just as he stood up from his chair. He froze and turned towards me with a look of complete disbelief.

"You can't be serious." There was a slight pleading in his tone, showing that he wished I were just joking.

"I am." I looked him right in the eyes as I said this, showing how determined and serious I was.

"I'm willing to make an exception for Misa but Light is a different story." He said tensely as he practically stormed over to stand in front of the window. There was an unyielding resolve in his words but I was prepared for that.

"Light became Kira on his own and is the mastermind behind-"

"Lawliet."

I couldn't see the look on his face but his back became rigid and tense at the use of his real name and the threatening tone it was said in. He slowly looked back at me and I did my best to suppress the slight hurt I felt at the look of fear in his eyes.

"How…?" He was so startled and frightened that he was actually struggling to get words out.

"Have you already forgotten what I am? I've known your name since the moment I first laid eyes on you." I paused a moment to let my words sink in.

His body slowly relaxed as he realized that I not only saved his life but didn't kill him myself even though I could have ages ago.

"I may have put myself through agonizing pain to save you but that doesn't mean I won't make you miserable if you convict Light." I warned him, hating that I had to resort to threatening him. I immediately regretted my choice of words as a look of surprise and wonder crossed his face.

"What happened to you in the control room was a consequence of saving me?" I didn't answer but he didn't need me to. "You knew that would happen but still saved me anyway?" I wanted to deny everything and get him to focus back on Light but the warm look in his eyes got to me.

"Yes, I did." I admitted sheepishly, suddenly embarrassed by the intent look he was giving me.

The fond, affectionate smile he suddenly gave me took my breath away. All I could do was stare as he made his way over to me. He cupped my cheek and ran his thumb over my deceiving skin. I was completely enraptured by his gaze and touch but also confused by this sudden turn in his demeanor. That smile didn't leave his face even as he gave a resigned sigh, though it did lose some of its intensity.

"I still don't feel it is right but I won't deny you this." My body sagged in relief at those words but he wasn't done yet. "I will give Light a chance but only if he gives up his memories of being Kira…I can't have him going back to being Kira in the future."

It wasn't a big guarantee that Light would go free but it was the best I could hope for from L and I was grateful for that small chance.

"Thank you." My relief was so strong that my words were barely above a whisper.

"Just out of curiosity…what would you have done to make me miserable?" He asked, eyes shining with slight amusement; he clearly saw through my bluff. I couldn't hold in my laughter.

"I have no idea."


	38. Only A Matter of Time

It felt strange sitting in the main room with the others the next day as I already had a plan to end everything. There really was no longer a point in being there but I still sat there in front of one of the computers, pretending to look for leads. I needed to speak to Akishi before doing anything so I was forced to wait till she woke up. Coincidentally, she came into the room just as I was thinking about her. The task members jumped to ask her how she was but I was already there at her side.

"Are you okay?" I asked, gently gripping her shoulders.

"I'm fine." She said. The sad, guilty look in her eyes and the tenseness in her voice worried me.

**"She turned me in."** With my plan in mind, it was rather easy to ignore that voice.

"I'm glad." I told her, giving a genuine smile that seemed to catch her off guard. "I'm sorry for what I said before." I said slowly, voice softening with regret.

I should have apologized ages ago but that voice had convinced me that I did nothing wrong but now I knew better; I hoped it was not too late for her to forgive me. She seemed surprised at the apology but also grateful for it. However, that look of worry and guilt was still there. She glanced around at the others who were still very close by.

"I need to talk to you…alone." She spoke quietly so the others wouldn't hear her.

I didn't need the voice to tell me that something serious was about to happen but I was ready to face whatever it was. I followed as she led me to one of the other rooms. She assured me that the cameras weren't working in this room but I didn't really believe that though I wanted to. I disregarded that though as she turned to face me.

"I'm sorry Light but…I can't take it anymore."

**"I knew it."**  I ignored the voice once more and watched her force herself to say what had been on her mind since the very beginning. I couldn't even blame L for this since these were her real feelings.

_It was only a matter of time._

"It's wrong." She said, barely loud enough for me to hear.

"What happened to making sure that their deaths aren't in vain?" I asked but I already knew what her answer would be.

"The only way to do that is to stop you…like they would have wanted."

I somehow smothered that voice before it could speak though it was easy to guess what it would say. I stared silently at her as she struggled and failed to meet my eyes. Hearing her true feelings actually strengthened my resolve…I knew that what I was about to do was not only my only real option but also the right thing to do though it would hurt her greatly.

"You told L the truth." I finally said, once again already knowing the truth.

"I didn't have to Light, he knew from the start…you know that." I didn't really know what to say.

"He's close to proving that the 13 day rule is fake and when he does…" She hesitated as she choked a bit on her upset. "You'll be convicted and executed." She suddenly gave me a cheerful smile that was so clearly faked that I couldn't stand the sight of it.

"But if you give up your memories again then you don't have to be. L agreed to let you return to your normal life if-"

"No." I cut her off, making that awful smile fall from her face. She blinked several times in surprise.

"What?" The way she spoke showed that she was desperately hoping she had heard me wrong.

"I won't give up my memories…even if there's no chance that I'll escape conviction." My voice was strong with my resolve and determination but she refused to accept my words.

"But…why? You'll be killed." Tears started to trickle down her cheeks as she pleaded me to reconsider.

_I want you to be the last thing I see and I want my last thoughts to be memories of you…the real you, not some illusion my altered memories will create,_ my reason echoed loudly in my mind but I couldn't bring myself to speak it.  _It wouldn't make a difference even if I told her…I've already lost her,_ I thought bitterly.

"You won't be able to change my mind." I told her, mentally clinging to my plan.

She shut her mouth and stared at me in sad disbelief, silently begging me with her eyes.

"Please, don't cry." I stepped forward and gently brushed one of her tears away. "Don't taint your beauty with tears…smile, please." I softly caressed her cheek as I spoke.

She shuddered, either from my touch or words, and quickly wiped at her tears. She couldn't stop the tears completely though but she still tried to give me a smile. I smiled tenderly at her effort and wrapped my arms around her for what was most likely the last time. I nuzzled my face into her soft hair, reveling in the feeling of holding her in my arms. Her warmth and the beat of her heart against my chest helped soothe the hurt I felt about giving her up. I didn't want to ever let go though.

"I have a request." I spoke carefully, knowing I was about to hurt her even more.

_This is the only way,_ I reminded myself. She gripped onto me tightly, waiting to hear my request.

"I want you to write my name down before they can arrest me."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *laughs evilly* that cliffhanger. I wonder if any of you saw this coming.
> 
> Think about it though: Light swore to make the world a better place for Akishi's sake but to do that he would need to kill L and he already realized that he could no longer do that because it hurt her so he can't really be Kira any longer. That only leaves him with 3 options.
> 
> He can let L prove him guilty, which he can easily do at this point, and let himself be arrested where Akishi will have to kill him in prison.
> 
> Or he can give up his memories of her and Kira and live in blissful ignorance with a emptiness in his chest that he can't understand.
> 
> OR he can go out on his own terms with Akishi and his father by his side. He wouldn't want to forget her and he'd want some control over how this all ends so this is the most likely way he'd go in my mind. You can disagree but this is how I'm writing it.
> 
> Also he's not acting as Kira but as Light so he's not really concerned about anything else but his feelings towards her and her happiness really.
> 
> Please Comment.


	39. The Only Way

She tensed at my words then tore herself from my grasp, turning away from me as she did so.

"No…" Her voice was so soft I almost couldn't hear her. "Please don't ask me to do that…anything but that."

"You'll have to write my name down eventually, it'll just be sooner." She shook her head, still refusing to look at me.

"You did it for  **him**."

I hated that I had to resort to this but I couldn't think of any other way to convince her. She flinched and slowly turned to face me, clearly hurt and shocked that I would use her past against her like this.

"I'm sorry, but please…I want to die here with you and my father at my side." She stared into my eyes for a long time then slowly shut them in defeat.

"I've never been able to convince you to do anything." She said with a sad laugh. "This is really what you want?" The pain and defeat in her voice was hard to bear.

"Yes." I replied, seeing that she was about to give in.

"You're sure this is all I can do for you, Light?"

_No, it's not but…there's no way I can tell you what I really want without causing you more pain._

"Yes."

"Alright." She sounded so defeated but I didn't let that change my mind.

"Thank you." I gave her a grateful, reassuring smile.

"We'll need to tell L about this." She said as she made her way to the door.

"I already heard." L's voice suddenly came through the speakers near the camera that was supposed to be off. She turned and glared at the camera.

"I wasn't watching the whole time." L assured her. "You were taking so long that I began to worry."

_Did he just admit that he was worried? That's new._  She sighed but seemed to forgive him.

"So what do you say?" She asked. We were all quiet as L thought it over.

"I can't really object, can I?" He responded with a sigh.

She directed a fond smile at the camera and slowly shook her head. The smile didn't at all hide the fact that she was still distraught but it was definitely more genuine than the one she had given me before.

"Very well…I'll allow it but I believe it's only fair that your father be aware of this." I cringed at the thought of how he would react.

"Who's going to tell him?" She asked, looking just as hesitant as me.

"We all should." I gave no protest and left the room with Akishi to speak with my father…I definitely wasn't looking forward to it.

Third POV:

"What?" Mr. Yagami was staring at his son in sad disbelief after his confession of being Kira.

"It's true Mr. Yagami…" Mr. Yagami looked over at Akishi who was leaning against the wall near the doorway. "I know because I was the one who gave him the Death Note."

He stared at her in silence then a look of pure anger slowly took over his features as he came to understand what that meant. He suddenly lunged at her and wrapped his hands around her neck. His momentum caused her back to slam against the wall.

Akishi's hands instinctively came up to pry his hands away but she made no real effort to do so even when the pressure made it hard for her to breath. It wasn't like he could kill her but it was clearly painful for her.

"Dad stop!" Light and L both ran forward to pry the man from the girl.

Hearing his son's voice, Soichiro came to his senses and quickly released Akishi. She slid down to the floor and gingerly caressed her neck where her skin was slightly discolored, showing exactly where his hands had been. No doubt there would be bruising later. Though he no longer felt the desire to hurt the girl, Soichiro was nowhere near sated.

"It's your fault…you turned my son into a murderer…you robbed him of a wonderful future." He didn't raise his voice but his anger was still clearly heard. Akishi said nothing in response; she didn't even look up. Light's father stormed out of the room.

"Wait Dad! You're wrong, I-" Light went to go after him but Akishi grabbed hold of his sleeve as he passed, stopping him. He stared down at her as she spoke.

"No Light." She kept her gaze at the floor. "Let him believe what he wants."

"But-"

"I rather he blame me than think any less of you." Her voice was soft with sad acceptance.

"It's not-"

"Please." Light still wanted to protest but something in her voice made him relent.

"Are you alright?" He asked instead. She nodded.

"I'll speak to your father about the plan." L said suddenly.

"And we'll speak with Misa." Akishi said, standing up. L looked like he was about to protest but Akishi spoke before he could. "Do you trust me?"

There was a heavy silence after that question as Akishi stared intently into his eyes, awaiting his answer. There was an obvious shift in L's eyes as a look of affection filled them, revealing his answer before he spoke it.

"I do." Akishi relaxed then and took hold of Light's hand. She led him out of the room, pausing long enough to reassure L that she'd watch over Light.

Convincing Misa to give up her Death Note was just as easy as Akishi said it would be. She didn't even ask why Light wanted her to and even ignored the fact that Akishi was there with him. Ryuk seemed to understand what they were doing but only laughed. Misa eagerly did as Light asked and her mood only dampened when he told her that he had to go. Akishi thought it was rather cruel and sad that Misa didn't know what was about to happen to Light but said nothing.

The two returned to headquarters. Akishi waited till Light was back with L before flying back to Misa's apartment. Rem stepped outside to speak with her after Akishi gestured for her to follow. Akishi told her about the plan and Rem was understandably furious.

"Misa can't live without Light Yagami." She reminded Akishi. "She'll kill herself as soon as she hears the news."

"That's why you're going to stay with her and look after her." Akishi spoke calmly, unfazed by Rem's anger.

"How am I supposed to do that? She can't even see me." Rem's words were laced with bitterness and sorrow.

"I'll teach you how to take on a human form." Rem was shocked into silence by those words.

"Every shinigami is capable of doing so…you just need to remember how." Akishi continued, disregarding the other's shock. "I have to return to headquarters so you should come with me…I'll teach you there."

The idea of being able to speak with Misa and be with her as a human was very appealing to Rem but she still hesitated to follow Akishi. She glanced back towards Misa's window where the girl could just barely be seen puttering about.

"She'll be fine…for now. However, she'll need somebody there after Light's gone." It hurt so much for Akishi to say those last words but she ignored the pain and focused solely on Rem. Convinced, Rem looked back towards Akishi and both flew back to headquarters but stopped at Light's house first to grab Akishi's other Death Note.

Meanwhile:

"How's my dad?" Light asked L, who was busy typing away on one of the computers.

"He's holed himself up in his room…no doubt he's trying to think of a way to talk us out of the plan." Light said nothing in response but L didn't really expect him to. Neither said anything for a while but then L spoke.

"I must say that you've surprised me, Light."

Light had an idea about where this conversation was going but still turned L's way to hear what he had to say. L kept his back to him as he spoke, though he was aware of Light's every move.

"I never saw you as the type to give up." It was clear to both that L was trying to deduce if Light had a hidden motive in surrendering.

"What choice did I have?" Surprised by the sad tone, L looked his way and took in the defeated expression on the young man's face.

"I'm sure you could have thought up another plan to kill me." L said, honestly confused by this sudden change in Light.

"You're right, I could have…but what's the point in that?" Light's voice started to rise as his frustration and anger took over. "She'd never forgive me. I could make the world a better place but she wouldn't be happy because you wouldn't be there." L's eyes widened but Light didn't notice.

"I'd lose her forever…" He suddenly sunk onto the couch and hid his face in his hands. "And I can't bear that…this is the only way."

The room was enveloped in an awkward silence that neither knew how to break. L was about to go back to his work when Light spoke.

"Take care of her for me…please." Light didn't look up as he said this so he missed the sympathetic look L sent him.

"Don't worry…I will." Light kept his head down but smiled slightly, relieved and grateful.

Silence filled the room once more but this time it was peaceful and comfortable.


	40. The End of Kira

It didn't take long for Rem to remember how to take on a human form since it was already engraved in her instincts, which was good because I had a hard time explaining it.

Looking at her human form, I was a little surprised by how similar it looked to her shinigami form. She had the same hairstyle, though her hair was now black instead of purple, and her face naturally fell into her usual expression. She looked a couple years older than me but not too old that she would have any wrinkles.

I chuckled quietly as she looked herself over self-consciously, clearly nervous that Misa would be bothered by her appearance.

"You look fine." I reassured her and I did mean it. Rem looked just fine; there was nothing about her that would make her stand out in a crowd but that went along with Rem's personality.

I frowned to myself when I noticed that she had no shinigami traits at all. I gingerly brought a hand up to my red eye as I contemplated what that meant.

_Is this not from being a shinigami? Did I have this eye even when I was alive?_ I stopped thinking about it for I knew I would never get answers for my musings. I focused back on Rem and told her she should go meet Misa.

"You'll want to have somewhat of a friendship with her by the time she hears the news." Rem nodded then phased out of the building, wings sprouting to carry her. I smiled at the unspoken "thank you" that hung in the air.

I turned around as the door behind me opened. L peeked in, looking around the room for Rem. He stepped fully into the room once he saw that the other shinigami was gone.

_I wonder if he feels uneasy around Rem…she did try to kill him before._

"Where's Light?" I asked, ignoring the pain that came with thoughts of him.

"He's talking with his father." He replied. I winced, wondering how that was going. He stared silently at me for a moment then asked a question I really didn't want to hear.

"Are you sure you want to go through with this?" I tore my gaze from him and brought my arms up to hug myself, desperately in need of comfort.

"No…I'm not." I dug my fingers into my arms as I continued.

"Light's right though…I'll have to write his name down eventually and he wants it to be be now instead of later in prison." I felt my face morph into a twisted, bitter smile that I knew I wouldn't be able to stop.

"I know it's selfish of us to do this as there are many besides me who will be hurt by his death. That's nothing new for me though…I've had to take people from their loved ones many times before." I grimaced and shuddered in self-disgust as the numerous faces and names of those I've killed flashed in my mind.

"I will forever remember the pain that I have caused…it's the only thing I can do to repay those whose lives I have stolen. It will never be enough though." I didn't look up at him as silence stretched between us. However, I did look up when a quiet chuckle broke the silence.

"I was right." The fond, reassuring smile on his face was not the expression I expected to see. "You're not a monster." My mouth hung open and moved wordlessly as my mind worked to think of some response but he continued without waiting for one.

"A monster wouldn't regret the pain it causes or actively try to remember its victims." He elaborated, still smiling fondly. "I'm sure Light feels the same." I was about to protest but then a memory flashed in my mind.

**"You may not be human…but you're not a monster in my eyes."**

_Satoshi said something similar before…maybe…they're right._  My thoughts were interrupted as Light entered the room with a tense yet tired frown on his face.

"I take it that things did not go well with your father." L said, taking in Light's obvious exhaustion. Light gave a tired, agitated sigh as he collapsed onto a chair.

"I somehow managed to convince him but he's still heartbroken over it."

"That's expected. You are his son and he loves you very much…even if you are Kira." Light gave another sigh.

"He wants me to visit my mom and sister...he probably thinks that seeing them will convince me to change my mind."

"Will you visit them?" L asked but we both already knew the answer.

"Yeah…it wouldn't be right if I didn't…I need to see them one last time." The subtle sadness and regret in his voice made my heart ache, but there were no words I could say to comfort him.

The next few days passed in a quick blur though I wanted desperately for them to last forever. Light did go to visit his family and even asked me to go with him so he could introduce me…but I just couldn't go. There was no way I could see their happy faces, knowing I was about to tear that family apart.

We somehow kept the other task members oblivious to the plan but some of them knew that something was going on; the tension between Mr. Yagami and me wasn't exactly subtle. On the dreaded day we tricked the others into going into one of the other rooms and locked them in so they couldn't interfere. Some of them attempted to escape but Matsuda just sat on the floor in shock over the knowledge that Light really was Kira; he really looked up to him so it was no surprise that he took it the hardest. Light said his goodbyes to them through a microphone but didn't listen to their outraged questions.

L led us to a room that had a wall of windows; he said so Light could have a last look at the world. The view was incredible and Light seemed to appreciate it as he took a seat in the sole chair in the room.

A heavy silence filled the room as everyone's eyes turned towards me. I knew what they were waiting for and I suddenly couldn't breathe.

I forced myself to take a deep breath and release it, ignoring how my body shuddered with the movement. Pulling out my Death Note took more energy than it should have but the encouraging look Light sent me helped me focus on my task. I somehow managed to hold in my tears as I wrote in my Death Note.

_He doesn't like it when I cry,_  I reminded myself.

I felt sick and my heart plummeted to my stomach upon seeing that name actually written there. I made sure that it would be painless and that he would have enough time to say goodbye to his father properly.  _There's no going back now._

"Any final words you wish to share?" L asked solemnly. It seemed that even he was saddened slightly by what was about to happen. Light stared at L for a moment then looked over at his father, who was surprisingly keeping himself together. He didn't say anything like I had expected, instead he stared a couple minutes with apologetic eyes.

_He must have said everything he needed to say before._

My breath caught in my throat again when he looked my way. I didn't doubt that he could see the pain and sorrow in my eyes as well as the tears that I refused to shed. For some reason my brain had shut down and I couldn't think of any words to say to him so we both silently stared at each other as those precious seconds ticked by. There was a strain to his features that I recognized as a sign of inner conflict but I couldn't tell what about.

He suddenly gave me a sad, apologetic smile before uttering his final words to me. Then…he was gone. There was no holding back the tears then; they silently spilled down my face, as I stood unable to move. My notebook fell from my hands a few seconds later as I fell to my knees and covered my ears. A scream built up in my throat as Light's final words echoed inside my head.

_"I love you…I love you…I love you."_

I felt L wrap his arms around me as my scream filled the room. I was too much in shock to resist when he scooped me up into his arms and carried me from the room though I did cling to him as I stared over his shoulder at Light's body and his peaceful face.

Light's final moments and Satoshi's final moments kept flashing in my mind, the similarity of the two scaring and wounding me greatly. It wasn't until L gently placed me onto my bed that my mind began working again.

"Why…why does this keep happening?" I covered my face with my hands, wishing desperately that this was all just a terrible nightmare and that Light was still alive and well but I knew better.

"How could they love me? I'm not even human!" L wrapped his arms around me again and held me tenderly against his chest.

"You being a shinigami is only a small part of who you are; there is so much more to you than that. You have so much humanity in you. You also have a big heart that cares and worries for others, a fiery temper that is both terrifying and endearing, a sharp, perceptive mind that's thrilling to witness, a strong determination that's hard to deter and a warm personality that draws people in. It isn't hard to see why Light loved you." The warmth of L's words filled me and pushed some of the pain away but not all of it.

"He should have told me earlier then...I could have-"

"What? Loved him back? You can't control whom you fall in love with…it just doesn't work like that. Light understood that, which is why he didn't tell you before…he didn't want you to force yourself to return his feelings or feel guilty for not returning them."

The tears fell harder at that point but I ignored them as he continued speaking.

"All you can do for him now is be happy…that's all he ever wanted. So tell me…" He gently gripped my shoulders and pushed me away so he could look into my eyes. His voice hardened a bit with determination.

"What will make you happy? You can't see him again but you can still find some happiness here can't you?" I stared into his dark eyes, stunned and unable to respond.

"Please tell me…I want you to be happy too." His voice softened again and his eyes shone with the same emotions Light and Satoshi's used to. The suffocating pain in my chest was temporarily pushed to the side and the tears stopped as I let the affection and honesty in his words engulf me.

"Whatever it is…I'll do what I can to help."

"I can't go anywhere without my Death Notes" I reminded him, knowing he was technically in possession of both.

"Then I'll return them." He replied, surprising me. "Whatever will make you happy."

We both fell silent as I thought of a response. It was hard to think about my own happiness right then as Light had just died but I knew L needed some response. At that point there was only one thing I wanted to do besides see Light and Satoshi again.

"I want to stay with you." My voice came out so quiet that I thought L might not have heard me but the look of surprise that crossed his face proved otherwise. He didn't move or respond for a moment then he brought a hand up to cup my cheek.

"Are you sure?" The hope in his voice made me feel better about my decision. I nodded and was promptly pulled against his chest again.

The pain of Light's death was still prominent but I knew that I would eventually be able to move on as long as I stayed by L's side though I knew I would never forget Light and Satoshi; I didn't want to ever forget them though as they were both very dear to me.

"There is something of meaning I wish to share with you but…now is not an appropriate time." L suddenly said into my ear.

The meaning behind those words was clear to me. I was surprised to find that I was eager to hear what he wanted to say but I agreed that I wasn't emotionally ready yet. I smiled into his shoulder, reveling in his warmth and the love that I could feel emanating from him.

_I'll wait as long as I need to…till I hear those words._


	41. Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Many POV's this chapter and some time skips. Also Mello and Near and Matt are in this chapter. I changed their ages though so they are younger when first introduced:
> 
> Mello-11
> 
> Matt-10
> 
> Near-9
> 
> Disclaimer: Death Note and its characters belong to Tsugumi Ohba

Several Months Later:

"Is this it?" I asked, looking up at the beautiful building that was hidden from the world by a gate and brick walls.

I saw L smile fondly at my look of wonder and awe from the corner of my eye but still opted to keep my eyes on the enthralling sight outside the car window.

"Yes…" We stepped outside the car as it pulled to a stop in front of the big wooden doors.

"Welcome to Wammy's House." He said with obvious fondness and pride.

I stood there and stared up at the old building. I couldn't explain it but I felt at peace there…and I hadn't even entered the building yet. I noticed some kids peering from some of the second story windows but was immediately distracted by the large stain glass window that was right above the entrance. I took in all the colors and wondered what it must look like when the sun shines through it. L started forward and I followed behind him as he walked up to an old man that was waiting on the entrance steps.

"L…it's good to see you again." The man said with obvious respect.

"It's good to see you too, Roger." L smiled at the man then gestured for me to step forward, which I readily did. "This is Akishi…the one I told you about."

"Ah…nice to meet you, Miss." He held his hand out for me to shake. "I must say that I was surprised to hear that L would be bringing someone here…this is a very important place after all." I didn't fail to notice the caution and slight distrust in the man's voice and eyes.

"I know and I'm honored that he trusted me enough to bring me here." I sent a smile L's way, which he returned.

I turned around towards the car when I heard a faint groan of pain. Poor Watari was struggling slightly with L's suitcase. I immediately went to help him while the other two went inside. All the equipment L had stuffed into the suitcase was too much for the aging man but not so much for me so he gratefully handed it over for me to handle.

I carried it up the stairs and through the doors. I set the suitcase down and stared at the strange but endearing sight that awaited me inside. L was surrounded by kids of all ages, all staring up at him with wonder and respect. I smiled as I stood there and watched him interact with them. Three kids in particular seemed to hold his attention.

 _Those must be his successors,_  I thought, remembering what L told me about Wammy's House.

One of those kids noticed me and scowled fiercely in my direction. The blonde boy by the name of Mihael Keehl rudely pushed his way through the other kids and stalked up towards me. I said nothing as he glared up at me.

"Who the hell are you?" He asked suddenly. I was thrown off a moment by his foul language but recovered quickly enough to reply.

"My name's Akishi." I waited for him to introduce himself, as I knew that the kids there went by aliases, but he just kept glaring at me.

"Be nice, Mello." L said, walking over towards us with the other two kids following close behind him. I looked around and saw that all the other kids were already gone. Mello glanced L's way, his eyes softening a bit with respect, but then turned to glare at me again.

"But who is she?" He asked.

"She is a dear friend of mine." Mello whirled around to stare at him in shock.

"Friend?" He spoke as if that was the strangest thing he's ever heard, which is possible since L was known not to socialize with others beyond what was necessary for a case.

"Indeed…so I expect you to treat her nicely." L was now speaking like a scolding parent.

"It's fine." I said, surprising them. "I'm just a stranger and an intruder to him…it's understandable that he'd be wary of me." Mello peeked up at me through his bangs with wide eyes. I gave him a reassuring smile.

"I'd probably do the same."

We stared at each other for a moment then he turned away with a scoff. He stormed off without another word. I watched his retreating form then turned my attention to the other boys.

The one called Nate River had white hair and dark eyes that were startlingly similar to L's. He peered up at me with a toy robot clutched in one hand and a strand of hair curled around the index finger of the other. The other boy, Mail Jeevas, had his gaze fixated on a video game console but he paused it long enough to peek up at me through orange-tinted goggles.

"This is Near." L gestured to the white-haired boy. "And this is Matt." He placed his hand on the other boy's head but the boy didn't look up from his game again.

I smiled at the two but got no real response from them but I didn't let that bother me. Matt ran off right after introductions, eyes still glued to his game. However, Near followed us as L gave me a tour.

The boy's sharp eyes were observing every move I made with wisdom one wouldn't expect of a boy his age but I expected no less from the boy that could one day be the next L. I got many curious looks from the children but I was too busy taking in all the beautiful architecture to really notice.

The building was rather large but it didn't take long for L to give me a tour, as most of the rooms were the children's rooms. It was almost dinnertime but L said there was one more place he wanted to show me first.

It had gotten really cold out, not surprising since it was winter, so we bundled up before stepping outside with Near staying inside. L looked rather ridiculous in the bulky coat Watari forced him in but I held in my laughter, not wanting to embarrass him anymore than Watari already did.

I had no idea what L wanted to show me but still followed along as he led me through the woods that were on the property. The leafless trees created a dreary atmosphere but I was distracted from it by the eagerness and nervousness that L was trying to hide.

We eventually stopped in a small clearing with a small frozen pond to the side. I said nothing as I looked around the desolate area.

"I know it's not much to look at now but this place is beautiful during the other seasons."

I didn't need him to tell me that; I was already imagining what it must be like…the many flowers of the spring, the bright greens of the summer and the many reds, oranges and yellows of the fall.

"I found myself here often when I wanted to be alone as a child." He spoke, revealing the sentimental importance of this place.

Knowing that he wanted to share such a place with me filled me with happiness and contentment. However, I couldn't come up with any words to properly express what I was feeling so I just smiled at him. He must have understood as he smiled back and gently took my hand.

We silently basked in the moment. L started to speak after a moment and I looked up expectantly at his words, heart suddenly pounding in my chest.

"I am not entirely sure whether now is the time to express my feelings but something is telling me to…" His voice was soft and timid so I gave his hand an encouraging squeeze, silently telling him that I was ready.

"I have never felt like this towards anyone before and that could be why it took me so long to realize just what I was feeling." He paused as he struggled to think of the correct words to express himself.

"I care for you more than I ever expected to or wanted to for that matter…my feelings for you didn't change even after learning your true nature and the fact that they didn't change helped me realize just how strongly I felt towards you." He paused once more with a sheepish, nervous smile.

"I apologize for my rambling…I'm not really used to expressing myself."

"I know." I gave him a reassuring smile, heart soaring with each word he spoke. He let out a small sigh, cheeks faintly tinted pink by the cold and his embarrassment.

"I guess I should say it as simply as possible." I waited with bated breath for him to finally say those words and I wasn't disappointed in the slightest.

"I love you."

I felt my face break out into a huge smile as the warmth and love behind those words filled me. I never expected the words that once tore my heart apart twice would bring me such peace and happiness but they did…mainly because they were coming from him…the one that I love.

"I love you too." I told him, putting all my love and happiness in those few words. The look of pure relief, joy and love on his face was a wonderful sight to behold and I swore to remember and treasure it forever.

I was startled from my thoughts as he gently cupped my cheeks. He was closing the distance between us again like that time at headquarters but I knew this time that we wouldn't be interrupted. I eagerly welcomed the feel of his warm lips against my own. The kiss was chaste, shy…and perfect. I had never been kissed before, at least not that I could remember, and was completely swept up in the feeling and pressed my hands against his to keep the contact.

A sudden cold brush against one of my hands had me pulling back. He drew his hands away from my face to allow me to look up at the specks of white falling from the sky. Completely captivated by the sight, I slowly brought a hand up to catch one of them. I let out a breathless gasp of surprise when it melted in the palm of my hand. I looked back up and watched the fluttering specks of white fall and cover the ground around us.

"This is snow, right?" I asked.

"Indeed it is." L replied, smiling at me.

"It's been so long…I had forgotten what it was like." My voice softened as memories of watching the snowfall with Satoshi appeared in my mind. I pushed those memories to the back of my mind and focused on the present.

 _I'm here with L now…enjoy the moment,_  I reminded myself.

I gave L a bright smile and held my hand out to him. He quickly stepped forward and took my hand as if he had been waiting for the invitation. We stood there and quietly watched the snow with our hands gently but securely locked.

"We should head back now." L whispered, as if he was afraid speaking too loudly would ruin the serenity of the moment.

I said nothing but still followed him as he led the way back without ever letting go of my hand. I spotted three familiar boys peeking out at us from one of the windows as we walked up to the orphanage. I smiled as they quickly hid, hoping to avoid being spotted. I smiled even more when I remembered the idea I thought of earlier. I tugged gently on L's hand to gain his attention before speaking.

"L, I was thinking…"

1 Year Later:

"So we strike tonight."

"It'll definitely be easier to take over once the bastard is dead."

"I can't wait."

Three men spoke of evil plans unaware of an invisible woman standing in the corner listening to every word they spoke. The woman tightly held a video camera in one hand as she smirked triumphantly at the men. She waited till she had everything she needed before phasing out of the room. Once outside, she pressed the button on the earpiece firmly clamped to her ear.

"L, I have the evidence." She spoke into the microphone of the earpiece.

"Well done." She smiled at the praise she received. "I'll send the police in now."

"So I'm done here?" She asked though she knew the answer.

"Indeed…I assume you'll be visiting him."

"Indeed." She mimicked him playfully, earning a soft chuckle. "I'll be back later."

"I"ll be waiting." She smiled softly at the gentle words as she released the button. She phased out of the building, ignoring the police storming in around her. She summoned her wings and flew off.

Mr. Yagami's POV:

I sighed as I walked down the now familiar cemetery path. It had only been a little over a year since Light's death but it felt like years since I lost my son.

 _Maybe because I had already lost him long ago without realizing it,_ I thought solemnly.

I let out another sigh then looked up where I knew the headstone would be. My steps slowed then stopped when I saw that someone was already standing before my son's grave. My eyes widened when I saw just who was standing there.

Seeing Akishi again, looking just as she did the day of Light's funeral, I couldn't help but think about what she really was.

_This is the creature that ultimately turned my son into a killer; this is the creature that killed him…this is the creature that my son loved._

It's true that Light wouldn't have become Kira if she hadn't provided the means to do so…but that didn't change the fact that he became Kira on his own…he made that choice. She turned my way and I clenched my fists as the feeling of my hands wrapped around that pale neck returned to me. I had wanted to kill her. I regretted my actions after but that was no excuse for what I did and had tried to do.

"I'm sorry." I bowed to her, hoping for forgiveness but not honestly expecting it. "The actions I took and the words I said to you were completely uncalled for…you didn't deserve them." I stayed in my bowed position, waiting for some response from her.

"I forgive you."

I shot up in surprise at how warm and gentle those words were spoken. She was smiling at me without any trace of anger or resentment.

"I understand why you reacted the way you did." I gave her a grateful smile as we fell into a peaceful silence.

A sudden beeping noise quickly broke it though. Akishi's hand shot up to her earpiece and pressed the button. She then flinched and her hand tightened around the earpiece as if she was about to rip it from her ear when a scream came through loud enough for me to hear and wince at the volume.

"God damnit Near!"

 _That was a young boy's voice?_ I mentally noted, surprised and curious.

"Akishi." L's familiar voice came through the earpiece. He was speaking louder than usual so he could be heard over the yelling. I thought something was wrong but Akishi just smiled as she replied.

"Hello L…Are the boys fighting again?" She asked, looking amused yet content. I couldn't hear L's response as more screaming drowned it out but her last comment raised some questions.

 _Boys? Are they raising children now?_  It wasn't actually hard to imagine Akishi as a mother but L didn't seem like the father type. I jumped slightly as Akishi laughed at whatever L said.

"I'll be right there. Try to hold out till then." She released the button on the earpiece with a fond smile. She looked back at me and directed a gentle smile my way.

"I hope we'll see each other again someday, Mr. Yagami." I could only nod in response. She then walked right past me down the path I had just walked up.

Akishi's POV:

I hadn't expected to see Mr. Yagami again but I was glad that he got the opportunity to apologize; I knew he regretted what he did so I didn't hold his actions against him.

I decided to wait till I was outside the cemetery before flying away. I walked along the path casually, in no real hurry to save L from Mello's screams; I found the whole thing rather amusing. I almost stopped when I saw two familiar people passing me by. Misa didn't notice me but Rem gave me a small smile as she passed. I gave a smile of my own then continued on my way.

I summoned my wings once I was outside the gate and quickly made my way to where L and the others were. I decided to just phase into the building instead of going through the security. I opened the door to the main room and was immediately assaulted by the sounds of Mello's angry yells.

"I hate you!" The boy was screaming at Near, who wasn't even looking at him though his eyes looked a little hurt. Mello then turned and stormed past me with tears of frustration in his eyes.

I gave L a startled look before running after the boy. I quickly caught up to him and stopped him. He refused to look at me but I gently turned him around and kneeled in front of him so I was closer to his level.

The tears were now spilling down his face but he didn't try to hide them from me. Mello started talking without any prompting, which wasn't really that surprising to me since we had developed a sort of mother-son relationship by that point so he didn't hesitate to share things with me.

"He's better than me at everything." I didn't need to ask whom he was talking about. "I hate it. I try my hardest but he's always one step ahead of me. It's not fair." I listened silently as the boy continued to share his frustration with me.

"Near might seem to be better at everything but that's only because your emotions tend to get the better of you." He turned his head away, ashamed at his lack of control.

"That's not necessarily a bad thing." I quickly reassured him. He looked my way again, vulnerability shining in his eyes.

"You are a very passionate person…and passion is a good thing to have. Near also has passion of his own but he keeps it tightly under wraps and that sets you two apart. You shouldn't focus solely on that difference though; you two are very much alike. You're both very bright, determined and dedicated boys that hope to one day succeed L. You feel that you have to compete with Near but wouldn't it be better to work with him? Near might be the number one candidate right now but he keeps his emotions under wraps and you need some emotion in this line of work. You openly express your emotions but have little control over them but control is also needed to be a detective. You two can easily compensate for each other's flaws and accomplish so much more when together...you need each other."

Mello was silent as he contemplated my words. It was clear that he didn't want to readily admit that I was right but the slight shift in his eyes showed that my words had an effect on him; he just needed one more push.

"You know, he actually likes you…even though you say that you hate him and yell at him all the time." His eyes went wide then a look of regret crossed his face.

I said nothing more to push the subject and instead stood up with my hand held out to him. He silently stared at my outstretched hand then slowly took it. It hurt knowing that I would someday have to tell the boys the truth about my being a shinigami but I was determined to enjoy every moment I had with them until then. I gave Mello a loving smile before leading the way back to the room.

L's POV:

I watched Akishi speak with Mello through the cameras, though I turned the audio off to give then at least some privacy. It was amazing how easily Akishi could calm the boy down and give him the comfort he needed. I acted as a mentor to the boys but couldn't really connect with them easily on an emotional level like she could…I'll admit that I envied her for that but I also accepted that that's just how she is.

"What's that?" Near's quiet voice suddenly broke through my thoughts, startling me; I hadn't heard him come up next to me.

I glanced his way and found him staring pointedly at my back pocket. I paled slightly when I remembered what was in said pocket. I reached back towards the pocket and felt the smoothness of paper against my fingers…the Death Note clipping was sticking out of my pocket. I pulled it out and brought it in front of me.

Momentarily forgetting that Near was there, I stared at it, wondering once again why I still had it. I had resolved to get rid of it after Light's death but could never bring myself to for some reason. I never used it or even brought it out but I was always aware of its presence in my back pocket. There was just something about the small piece of paper that made me want to hold onto it…but I knew that I shouldn't.

 _It could corrupt me,_ I reminded myself but at the same time a voice inside me told me I might need it. I sighed then tore my gaze away from it. My eyes ended up resting on the sight of Akishi gently talking to Mello with a loving expression. I smiled as I realized right then that I wouldn't ever need this clipping.

 _All I need is right here,_  I thought, gazing at Akishi. I looked back down at the paper and finally responded to Near's question.

"It's nothing, Near...nothing at all."

I tore up the clipping and placed the small pile of shredded paper on my desk, determined to dispose of it properly later. Akishi and Mello returned then. Mello hesitated in the doorway but a gentle push from Akishi had him walking up to Near. Mello seemed determined to look anywhere but at Near but eventually peeked at him through his bangs with a slightly red face.

"I'm sorry," was all he said but it was enough. Mello blushed further at the tiny smile Near gave him. I turned my attention to Akishi as she came up beside me. She was watching the two with such loving care, much like that of a mother.

Remembering my realization, I reached out and gently tugged her down into a kiss. She hadn't been expecting it but returned the kiss anyway, ignoring the gagging noises Mello was making.

 _That's right…I don't need anything else in my life,_ I thought happily, feeling content and at peace.

In the Shinigami Realm:

Do you think he'll become a shinigami one day?" Ryuk asked, staring at L through the portal.

"No…I don't think so." The shinigami beside him replied solemnly.

"What do you think she'll do then?" Ryuk asked, sounding surprisingly serious.

"She'll stop writing names and eventually die." The other shinigami said with certainty and sorrow. He stood up and started to walk away from the portal.

"What will you do then, Light?" Ryuk asked, staring at Light with strangely sympathetic eyes. Light stopped and looked up at the gray sky above him. He sighed before continuing on his way.

"Who knows…?"

**The End**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yup Light's still there. :) A bit of a bittersweet ending for him though. We also see that Misa is coping with Rem there to help but she doesn't really have much time left.
> 
> Mello and Akishi are pretty similar in that they both have serious tempers so I feel that Akishi could understand Mello's frustration for not having control over his emotions.
> 
> I came up with the idea that if an object is attached to a shinigami then it will go invisible/intangible with them, which is why Akishi was holding the camera very tightly and why the earpiece is clamped tightly to her ear, though she can still remove it.
> 
> I didn't notice this initially but each of the guys fell in love with Akishi in slightly different ways: Satoshi looked past her shinigami appearance and fell in love with her personality and heart, Light fell in love with her knowing what she really is and L fell in love with her and continued to love her even after learning the truth.
> 
> Thank you all for taking the time to read my story.
> 
> Please Comment.


	42. Telling the Boys

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's a special chapter that takes place probably about a year or so after the epilogue...or maybe less...I don't really know. The boys are still young though.
> 
> Possible OOCness regarding Mello and Near...due to having Akishi as a mother and Mello's emotional sensitivity in this version.

The boys wanted to know every little thing about the battle with Kira but we had put off sharing it, as my being a shinigami was a big factor of that; I hadn't wanted to tell them until I had no choice…and now I had no choice. We couldn't put off telling them anymore; I could already see Near giving me suspicious glances, no doubt from my lack of aging, and I knew Mello would not be far behind and he would probably confront me directly. Mello was beyond eager to hear how we managed to thwart Kira but I was dreading the whole thing; this conversation could potentially destroy my relationship with these boys. We started off by explaining the death note to them. They had a lot of questions about that, which we tentatively answered. We then went on to recount the Kira investigation. I could tell that the boys were a little upset to hear that I had been Light's "friend" and that I had known all his plans but they said nothing. It was when we got to Rem's attempt on L's life that my secret was revealed.

"How did you manage to survive?" Mello asked eagerly, completely caught up in the story. L paused before answering, waiting to see if I was truly ready for this. He continued when I didn't say anything to stop him.

"Thankfully, Light's shinigami intervened."

"Huh…you mean that shinigami named Ryuk?"

"No…Light actually had a different shinigami before him." I could tell instantly that Near had already figured it out as he was staring at me with slightly widened eyes. Matt seemed to have also put it together; he was staring at me through his goggles, not even reacting as his character was killed in his game.

"Eh…but why would that shinigami interfere if it was on Kira's side?"

"That shinigami didn't want me to die." L explained tentatively, knowing this would be enough for Mello to connect the dots.

"What do you mean it didn't…?" Mello trailed off as realization hit. His eyes went beyond wide and he turned his gaze on me. I stared silently with sad eyes, preparing myself for pain and rejection. The cold, furious, almost hostile look Mello gave me was equivalent to a punch in the heart. Every happy moment we shared, every time I comforted him, guided him or treated him like a son was forgotten…at that moment I was just a shinigami that had been Kira's accomplice…I could no longer be trusted. The underlining hurt behind his glare only made it worse.

"You mean all this time we've been living with a monster? How could you let it stay here? How do you know it won't turn on us one day?"

Each outraged word was a vicious whip to my heart. The complete lack of faith and trust in me hurt even more. L's expression grew dark and there was a thunderous look in his eyes that scared me. Clearly he didn't approve of Mello's hurtful words and was going to make Mello regret them unless I stopped him.

"Stop it!" A sharp voice that was usually so quiet silenced Mello instantly and drew everyone's attention. Near stood there with a rather intimidating glare and stance. He had released his control over his passion and emotions and turned them fully on Mello. I was so caught up in Mello's reaction that I hadn't thought to see how Near felt about this. It seemed he felt differently than Mello. His next words were more like his usual quiet tone but there was still heavy disapproval coating them.

"Mother is still mother…She would never hurt any of us." He spoke confidently, without any doubt or mistrust. The tears fell then and I collapsed to my knees in front of him. I pulled him down and wrapped my arms around him. He wasn't one for physical contact but he allowed me this moment and even placed a comforting hand on my back as I cried. After a few seconds someone came over and hugged me from behind. I drew back enough to see that it was Matt. He gave me a goofy grin over my shoulder, letting me know that he accepted me. It really warmed my heart. The moment dimmed though as I turned my attention back on Mello. He hadn't moved from his spot and was staring at us with a torn expression. Clearly he wanted to still trust me but Mello was always slow to trust others but quick to lash out. I knew deep down he hadn't meant what he said; he was just upset that this was kept from him for so long and he really was confused about how to react. I separated myself from the two and slowly made my way over towards Mello. He tensed slightly but didn't back away as I approached.

"I'm sorry I took so long to tell you. I was afraid how you would react and I wanted to live as a family as long as possible before you rejected me...I'm sorry." I poured my heart into those words, hoping it would soothe some of the hurt Mello felt at being lied to. He didn't respond for a while but the wavering glare told me he no longer despised me as much as he initially did after realizing the truth about me. I stepped a bit closer and held my arms open.

"Please Mello…I've always loved you…you don't need to worry about me betraying any of you. I've already lost people important to me…I would never let it happen again." The glare finally left. His eyes were now brimming with tears that were stubbornly held back. He still moved forward to seek comfort in my arms though. I held him tightly and he held on just as strong.

"I love you Mello. I'll always look after you and the others...you're my precious family."

"I'm sorry." He muttered, clearly regretting his hurtful words now.

"I forgive you." I held him a bit longer then gently pushed him back so I could look into his face. "Come on…don't you want to hear how exactly L defeated Kira?" That snapped Mello's mood back to how it was before the whole reveal.

"Yeah! You gotta tell us the rest." He whirled around to face L, eagerly awaiting the rest of the story. L smiled my way before leading Mello back to the couches. I turned back towards Near and Matt with a warm smile.

"Come on." I urged them to follow, keeping a steady hand on their shoulders as we joined L and Mello.

I sat in the middle of the couch and pulled the boys close when they sat beside me. I smiled when they leaned into me, silently accepting my embrace. On the other couch Mello was completely enthralled in L's recount of the case and happy to be the center of his attention. I eventually drifted off to sleep as I basked in the peace and contentment that came with being with my beloved family.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I made Mello and Near a bit more emotionally open then they originally are but I believe having Akishi as a mother would do that. However, in this story Mello is a bit more sensitive emotionally, which is why he lashes out at Akishi like that, he felt betrayed and hurt.
> 
> I see Mello acting younger than he really is...I feel that he and Near matured way beyond their years because of the pressures of Wammy's House in the original series and having Akishi there would let them grow up more naturally.
> 
> Just so you know, I didn't mean that L would hurt Mello or anything when he planned to make him "regret" his words. It would be more like a stern scolding/yelling, that would cut deep and be very menacing.
> 
> My favorite line from the chapter was "Mother is still mother."
> 
> Please Comment.


	43. Alternate Ending

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really wanted to write a version where L dies and Akishi goes out for revenge so here it is. I hope it's not out of character for her.
> 
> Light is full on Kira in this, nothing of Light is left. Killing L was the final push he needed. This makes Akishi's murderous rage easier to direct onto him this way. She wouldn't be able to hate him as much if there were still traces of Light left. She's blaming Kira for the death of L and Light.
> 
> I had a hard time keeping Mello and Near's young ages that I used for the original ending for my story with what I have planned for this ending so they are 14 and 16 when we first see them.

"If we do this, the entire case will be solved."

Thunder boomed, filling the tense silence of the room. A sudden dread took my breath away. It took me a second too long to realize what was happening and by then it was too late. I swear I could hear the last beat of L's heart even from so far away. An icy grip encompassed my heart at the silence that followed it. I stood there and watched in horror as L toppled out of his chair. No one caught him but the sound of him hitting the floor snapped me out of my frozen state. I ran forward and fell to my knees beside him, not even feeling the pain from the harsh impact. I held him up so that his chest and head rested in my lap. I felt my whole body tremble and shake as I saw him stare up at me with wide, pained eyes. He couldn't even speak, though I saw there was so much he wanted to say. This wasn't right…he wasn't supposed to die like this...not before his time. I was supposed to think of a way to save him from this fate. The tears started then as well as the denial.

"No…no…you can't…this isn't how it was supposed to be."

I didn't know if L heard me, as he couldn't respond. His eyes softened though, as much as they could with the pain he was experiencing so at least he saw how much this hurt me, how much I regretted this whole thing…how much I cared for him, which was more than I ever expected. He slowly glanced behind me but brought his gaze back to me soon after. I didn't want to look away from him so I didn't turn to see what he had been staring at. I started to panic as his eyes slowly closed.

"No...please…I'm sorry."

It got harder to speak amongst my sobs. My pleas did nothing. His eyes dimmed and closed forever, never again would they burn with the intelligence and determination that I admired and adored. I felt whatever was left of my heart die with him. My pleas died out and all I could manage were nonsensical screams. I don't know what compelled me to peek over my shoulder once I lost my voice but what I saw filled me with a type of rage I never knew before.

Light was smirking…smirking so evilly and triumphantly, not at all caring about how he had just tore my very heart out and not about how he had robbed the world of such an amazing person. All the love and care I felt for him evaporated in an instant. There's no way this was the Light I had come to care for. I didn't know who he was now but I felt my Light was beyond saving and though it hurt to think that, the rage was stronger. Honestly, I wanted to kill him right then but I felt that wasn't enough. I wanted him to regret it, if that was even still possible with him. I wanted to watch him fail. I wanted to watch him die humiliated. He finally noticed my seething glare and vicious snarl. It should have scared him, it would have scared anyone else that knew what I truly was, but his smirk only grew. Somehow none of the others saw the stare down between us. I snarled at them when they moved to take L from me. I turned my focus back on the body in my arms…the body of an angel it almost seemed. I pulled him as close as possible and let my sorrow take over once more. I rocked slightly and just cried, swearing to make Light pay later…no, not Light…Kira. The thought brought even more tears; it seemed I lost the two people I loved in an instant. I didn't let go until someone I hadn't expected came to take him from me.

"Watari?" I stared up into his tear-stricken face in disbelief. I thought Rem had killed him. He said nothing but I saw the plea in his eyes so I gently handed L over to him. He cradled him like a parent would a small child and left the room. I followed quickly, looking at none of the others.

We ended up in a room that I had never seen before. Looking around at the computers and the rarely used bed, I guessed that this was L's own personal room beyond the one he had shared with Light. Watari placed L on the bed and just stared solemnly down at him. I stayed off to the side in respectable silence to let the man mourn, unsure whether he was okay with me here. It looked so strange to see L lying down instead of perched on a chair in front of a computer. Finally I couldn't take it anymore and I spoke without really meaning to.

"Is there no chance, Watari?" He looked over at me, without even bothering to dry his tears. "Is there no chance that Light will be stopped?" When I said stopped I meant arrested. I could easily kill him right then but I wanted everyone to know what he had done…then I would kill him. He didn't answer at first, though he showed slight surprise at my admittance that Light was guilty, but I hadn't really expected an answer. He surprised me though with his next words.

"There is." I couldn't help the spark of hope at his words. He told me about Wammy's house where L's successors were. I listened as he spoke about the two young boys that were the top students there. I wanted to believe in them but…

"Can they do it?" I asked desperately. "Can they really stop him?" Watari was silent for a while as he thought long and hard.

"Yes…I truly believe they can." The small smile that accompanied those words really reassured me. He turned back to L's body.

"I'll be bringing L back there to bury him." He said.

"When will you be back?" I asked.

"I won't be coming back." He said with a grim look. "I don't want to stay here with the man that took my son from me." My heart cried out for the man.

"Please…take me with you." I pleaded. He stared at me, scrutinizing me. He must have seen how distraught I was at the loss of L for he nodded.

Third POV:

The next day the task force was trying to think about what they were going to do next. The loss of L was just as much a moral blow as a physical one though.

"GONE!" Matsuda suddenly yelled as he ran into the room.

"What is it?" Mr. Yagami asked tensely, seeing the panicked look on the young man's face.

"L's body is gone!" Matsuda exclaimed.

"WHAT?!" They all exclaimed, rising to their feet.

"Watari's gone too and he left a note saying he wasn't coming back."

"He must have gone to bury him." Aizawa guessed. "How are we going to run the investigation without him though?"

"Um…" Matsuda started, gaining their attention.

"What else?" He stared nervously at Light before continuing.

"Akishi is gone as well." They all turned to Light, expecting an upset response but all they got was a blank expression that hid the man's inner amusement and triumph.

 _I knew she wouldn't kill me outright…she wants to make me suffer,_ Kira thought,  _too bad…there's nothing she can do to make me regret killing him…this should certainly make things interesting though._

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 

The flight to England was a solemn and quiet affair. Watari and I just sat silently, heads filled with our own grim thoughts. Not even being on an airplane for the first time could lift my mood. My thoughts were solely on the man that was dead in a casket in cargo hold. It wasn't until we were actually driving up the road to Wammy's house that Watari spoke.

"I'll have to introduce you to the man who runs the orphanage in my place if you're to stay there." The man's voice was rather listless, which coincided with his dreary expression. I probably looked just as wretched.

"When can I meet those two boys?" That was really all I was worried about. Watari hesitated. He did agree to take me to Wammy's house but it was clear that he didn't entirely trust me just yet; he knew I loved L but he also knew that I had helped Light in the past. Until he really trusted me he was reluctant to let me near L's successors.

"If they're going to fight to bring Kira down, then they're going to want the information I have." I said after a moment of silence. That was enough.

"Roger will need to inform them of L's passing. I'll introduce you then." We slipped back into silence then.

Wammy's house was a charming old building with a huge stained glass window at the front. The wonder I would have felt was once again drowned out by the grim reason that brought me there. An old man around the same age as Watari was waiting for us at the bottom of the stairs. He took one look at Watari, taking in his heartbroken expression, and then strode forward to place a comforting hand on his shoulder. No words were exchanged but it was clear that Roger understood what Watari was going through.

After a bit Roger let his hand drop from Watari's shoulder. It was then that he noticed me. He looked shocked, which meant that Watari hadn't gotten around to telling him that I was coming.

"Let's not talk here." Watari said before the man could ask questions.

"Alright…let's go to my office."

I followed behind the two as I slowly let my eyes roam over the impressive architecture of the building. We passed a group of young children along the way that showed great joy at seeing Watari. The man forced a smile and greeted them warmly. I stopped to watch the children run off as I realized that this was probably where L grew up before he became a detective. I looked around at the old walls and worn carpet with new eyes. I imagined a young L walking these halls with his little bare feet leaving little imprints in the red carpet. The other kids would probably run right past him, excited to go out and play, but he would continue on slowly, head filled with thoughts that were probably beyond my understanding. This caused my heart to swell with warmth. I started walking again after a moment with a small smile.

I stayed quiet in the corner as Watari explained whom I was and why I was there to Roger. Roger didn't trust me either but he clearly trusted Watari so he agreed to let me stay there. It was then that he had L's successors called to his office. The first one to arrive was a young teen covered from head to toe in white. Even his hair was stark white. The only bit of color on him was the colorful toy robot that he hugged to his chest. The boy, Near, noticed me instantly but said nothing. His dark eyes roamed over every inch of me though. He saw Watari next and the fact that Watari was here yet L appeared not to be was apparently enough for him to realize that L was dead. The look on Watari's face must have made it even more apparent. The boy still said nothing though and plopped down onto the rug to play with his toy, clearly waiting for his rival.

We didn't have to wait too long. A blond teen slammed the door open, clearly annoyed at being forced to stop whatever he was doing to come to the office. Mello's scowl faded though when he saw all the forlorn looks. It quickly returned as he attempted to hide his worry behind a rough exterior. He strode forward to stand next to Near, who didn't even look up at the older boy.

"What do you want, Roger?" He asked harshly, showing not even an ounce of respect.

"Mello." Watari decided to take over the explaining. The words were hard coming though as the wound on his heart reopened. He ultimately managed though.

"L is dead." There was absolute silence after that. Mello stared with wide eyes, clearly shocked. It took a moment for Watari's words to really sink in and you could clearly see that moment as a look of utter devastation overtook his face, a sharp contrast to Near's reaction.

"No…no." He actually stumbled. "You're lying! There's no way he lost!" Those cries of denial really hit me right in the heart. This boy clearly looked up to L and respected him. He was his hero and now his hero was dead. Mello's denial didn't last long though, as he was too smart to not see the truth of Watari's words. It made me regret even more my failure to save L. Mello silently grieved for a few minutes before addressing Watari, as calm and composed as he could manage.

"So which of us did L pick? Me or Near?" Watari hesitated to answer.

"He hadn't chosen." Mello deflated at those words then tensed when Roger spoke.

"Maybe you should work with Near." Near seemed okay with the idea but Mello clearly wasn't.

"You know better Roger. Near and I have always competed. We could never get along." He glared over at Near but he was too preoccupied with his toy to pay him any mind. Mello scoffed angrily. "Forget it. Near should be the next L. He isn't like me. He only uses his head like it's a game or a puzzle. I'm leaving-" He turned as he spoke but stopped when he finally spotted me.

"Who the fuck is that?" He asked, glaring my way.

"We were just about to introduce her to you boys." Watari said, gesturing me to step forward. "This is Akishi. She was a member of the Kira task force. She worked with L to catch Kira." Mello snarled suddenly, stomping over towards me.

"Some help you were! You let L die! What the fuck were you doing?" He screamed at me. The cruel reminder of my failure made me snap. I screamed right back.

"I don't need you of all people to tell me that! I know I failed him! I have relived and regretted that awful moment every second since he died in my arms! I don't need some arrogant little brat telling me I failed for I've been blaming myself just fine." Mello stared silently at me with mixed emotions and it was then that I felt the tears running down my face. I scoffed as I wiped them away. Everyone stared at me, waiting for me to calm.

"Sorry kid. Didn't mean to snap at you." I said casually, hoping to lighten the mood.

"Don't talk down to me. I'm not a kid." He snapped but he was clearly not as angry as he was before.

"Oh you want to be respected and treated like a big tough man, do you?" He glared at me.

"Bring me Kira's head then." My teasing tone turned sharp. "Make him regret killing L." Mello seemed startled by the coldness in my voice but he nodded after a second, eyes burning with determination.

The room was silent for a minute or two after my intense words. I decided to quickly move on from them.

"Well, I guess I should tell you everything I know about the Kira case."

"No." Near suddenly said, startling me. "We don't want you to tell us anything."

"What? But what about catching Kira?" I asked, baffled.

"We'll still get him." Mello added in. "We just want to figure it all out on our own." He smirked. "Like men." He said, using my earlier words against me. I couldn't even say anything; I was so flabbergasted and frustrated.

"But you-Ugh!" I whirled around and stormed from the room. I didn't go far as I didn't know the layout of the building. I settled for seething at the end of the hallway. It wasn't long before someone came to join me there. Watari didn't say anything at first; he simply stared at me patiently. I sighed after a minute and looked his way, prompting him to say whatever he wanted to.

"Please understand. The boys have strived to succeed L for most of their young lives. They wish to prove to themselves that they are worthy of the title. You simply telling them everything would rob them of such a chance."

I didn't really need him to tell me that but I couldn't understand why that was more important to them than arresting Kira; that should have been their first priority. They were my only hope of proving Kira's guilt though so I had no choice but to go along with it.

"Fine, but I'm going to tell them about the Death Note and shinigami at least."

"I believe that is for the best." Watari agreed with a slow nod. I took a second to calm down further before going back to the office. Everyone's eyes were on me when I came back.

"Fine. I'll go along with this ridiculousness but I have to tell you a couple of things at least." Mello went to protest. "Shut up and listen." I snapped at him, which surprisingly worked. I took a deep breath before continuing.

"Kira kills people by writing their names in a notebook called Death Note. It used to belong to a shinigami but Kira somehow got his hands on it." I decided to keep my identity as a shinigami a secret so they would be more likely to trust me.

"Shinigami? Are you serious?" Mello asked, sneering at me.

"They are real. The task force managed to confiscate a Death Note and we met the shinigami that originally owned it."

"Seriously?" Mello interrupted once again but I ignored him.

"There are many rules one must follow when using it."

"Do you have a written copy of the rules?" Near asked, looking towards Watari.

"No. I have surveillance footage of when the rules were read though so I can have a written copy made."

"I have them memorized if you want me to tell you them now." I said, drawing their attention again. Mello gave me another smug disbelieving look. To prove it I started reciting all the written rules. There had been a phase during my time in the shinigami realm where I read the rules over and over so I knew them off the top of my head; it wasn't as impressive as Light's understanding of them though. I left the fake ones for last, hoping that would help catch their attention.

"There were two more rules written in the back… 'if the user of the Death Note fails to consecutively write names within 13 days of each other, then the user will die.' Also 'if a person makes this notebook unusable by tearing it up or burning it, all the humans who have touched the Death Note will die.'"

"So that's really how Kira kills? With a supernatural notebook that used to belong to a shinigami?" Mello asked Watari, who nodded.

"So the best way to prove Kira's guilt is to get our hands on this Death Note." Near said, more to himself than to us. I wanted to say that it wasn't that simple since one could always transfer ownership and lose their memories but I kept quiet like they wanted. I must have made some kind of face though.

"However, it doesn't seem to be that easy." Near said. I nodded.

"We'll have to investigate from the beginning." I wanted to scream at that I was so frustrated but once again held it in.

"We shall start another day. For now there's something else that needs to be taken care of." Watari's voice went sullen, letting us know without words what he meant…L's funeral.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

I always hated funerals, especially ever since I felt the pain of watching a loved one be buried. It always reminded me of the pain I caused others by writing names down for my own sake. L's funeral was so different from Satoshi's. First, there was a wake. Satoshi never had one. His family prearranged his funeral but none had shown up for it. I was the only one there. This time around there was Watari, Roger, Mello, Near, dozens of kids and me; we must have been quite the sight.

Looking down into L's open casket and seeing that peaceful face brought nothing but heartache, regret and rage. It was just so wrong; he should have been old and shriveled when he was buried but those years were violently ripped from him. I didn't know whether I was about to cry or scream. Whatever it was I held it in. It was wrong for me to even be there, much less cry and mourn with the others. It was because of my selfishness that Kira was created and it cost me my good friend and the man I loved.

I watched quietly amongst the sobbing children as the casket was lowered into the ground. I was grateful at least to see L's name carved into the beautifully sculpted cross gravestone. If it had been the task force that buried him, he wouldn't have gotten even that and that was about as cruel as it got in my mind. At least this way he could be acknowledged as someone who lived even if people passing by had no idea what he did for the world.

I wanted to stay longer than the others but there was something I needed to do. I followed everyone back to Wammy's house but stopped just outside the gate. Watari noticed but continued on when I waved him off. I leaned back against the brick wall and waited. I stayed there even as it started to rain. After a while I started to wonder whether my hunch was wrong. That thought was banished when someone suddenly walked through the gate and passed me. I went unnoticed until I spoke up.

"You're an idiot." Mello jumped and whirled around. He gripped his bulging duffel bag closer as he glared at me.

"You know it's best to stay here where all the resources are accessible and yet you're leaving. Why?" I asked.

"I can't work with Near."

"You can. You just don't want to. You're so hung up on being better than him. You want to do it alone to prove to him that you're the best but what you want doesn't matter. Catching Kira should be your top priority. I've conceded to let you two figure it out on your own but I refuse to let you walk away and let Kira win."

"I wouldn't be letting Kira win." He snarled at me.

"Sorry to tell you this but Kira can beat you both when you two are by yourself; he's that cunning. Working together is the only way…so suck it up." I knew I was being rather harsh but I was too frustrated to care. He said nothing as he continued to glare at me.

"You know I'm right." I said after a minute.

"Fuck you." He spat at me but still walked back through the gate. I stayed there a minute longer, just looking up at the sky. I sighed then went back inside.

The boys spent the next year and a half going over everything they could find and I'll admit I was impressed by how much they managed to figure out. I still had to restrain myself from blurting everything out though as I felt it was still taking too long; I even developed an unconscious habit of nibbling on my thumbnail while watching them work, which hit me in the heart when I remembered it was what L used to do. They at least turned to me to confirm some things and Watari sometimes spoke up when he felt it best to share more than the two really wanted us to, which I was grateful for. It was rare that they asked anything specific though so I was surprised by Near's sudden question one day.

"What was L doing right before he was killed?" It took me a second to respond.

"He was planning to test the thirteen day rule." I said without going into much detail. Near said nothing but I could see his mind racing. Looking over at Mello, I saw that he was also thinking intensely as well. They were no doubt contemplating the legitimacy of the rule now, which was a giant step in the right direction. They just needed to get together a little more information then we could finally get the FBI involved.

During that year and a half things between Mello and Near weren't smooth, just as expected. Many times Mello would storm off to be alone. At this point it was really only Mello and Near that kept the investigation going so when it was just one working the progress slowed exponentially. Watari didn't do anything to stop it from happening though. He thought it best to give the boy his space but I thought differently. I went off in search of the temperamental teen. I found him skulking in the large courtyard.

"Go away." He glared at me with his arms crossed.

"No. I'm tired of you storming off and slowing the investigation down." He scoffed and turned away.

"You're the one who kept me here."

"I know and I still think that was for the best." I knew he was rolling his eyes even with his back to me.

"We're a lot alike." I said slowly. He glanced back at me, showing some interest.

"I too struggle to control my temper at times. You need to learn to control it though. You can't let anger or rage consume you. It'll hinder you, cloud your judgment and control you." He scoffed again.

"You're one to talk considering you're doing just that." I certainly wasn't expecting that.

"What do you mean?" I asked warily, not liking where this was going.

"You really think we can't see that you're consumed with rage and this insatiable desire for revenge? That's why you're so impatient. You can't wait to get your hands on Kira. You made it obvious the first day we met." He smirked suddenly as he strode towards me. "What was it you told me…to 'bring you Kira's head?'" He quoted smugly as he towered over me slightly.

I was at a loss. I honestly didn't know how to respond to that because he was right. All I had really been thinking about was getting the investigation done as soon as possible so I could finally kill Kira. It was wrong to let that consume my every thought but it was all I had left. I felt my heart cave a bit at the reminder and it must have shown on my face for Mello's smug smirk fell. Wanting to mask my upset I forced an aggravated response but some truth still wormed its way through.

"Don't go calling me a hypocrite until you know enough to understand." I walked off then, wanting to get away from Mello's almost pitying look.

Mello's POV:

I couldn't get Akishi's crushed expression or dreary words from my head. I walked almost mechanically back to the investigation room. Akishi wasn't there but I hadn't expected her to be. I tried to get back to work but just couldn't focus on it. I couldn't explain it but I wanted to understand Akishi now and the only way I could was to question the one person who knew her better than me.

"Hey Watari."

"Yes Mello?"

"About Akishi…" I started slowly. Watari slowly turned his chair to face me. I noticed Near peek over at me but I continued nonetheless. "The reason she's so desperate to catch Kira is because she loved L, isn't it?" I had thought that ever since the first day when she cried while expressing her regret over L's death but I wanted to know for sure. Watari hesitated to answer but must have realized I had no ill intentions in asking.

"Yes. She told me so herself." My next question didn't come out easily.

"Did…did L love her?" It was none of my business but I felt I had to know. Watari gave a sad smile.

"I believe he did…though I don't think he was aware of it himself."

"I see…" I mumbled softly, more focused on my thoughts.

That explained why Akishi was so desperate. It was sad really; she could have been with L but Kira killed him before they could even confess to each other. It seemed all she had left was revenge. If that was the case, then I would do everything I could to make sure she got it. Not just for her sake but because this was all I could do for L as well. I'll not only avenge him but also protect and bring peace to the woman he loved. I threw myself back into the investigation with new resolve and determination.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The investigation went a lot smoother after that day in the courtyard. I honestly hadn't expected my words to really work on Mello but he was almost a changed man now. It wasn't like he was no longer angered by things Near said or did but he worked to suppress his upset instead of letting it get the best of him. I really had no right to be but I was rather proud of him. He was certainly doing better than I was.

It was like I could feel every second that was spent on investigating and I couldn't stop the small voice in my head telling me that during every one of those seconds Kira got to live and bask in his victory longer. I did my best to ignore it though as I knew it would be worth it in the end and my pushing the boys wouldn't make it go any faster.

I found myself retreating to what was familiar in order to make the wait less unbearable, which was sitting and talking to my deceased loved ones. There was no way I could travel all the way back to Japan to visit Satoshi's grave without raising suspicion but that was okay. I wanted to stay with L anyway and I knew Satoshi wouldn't mind. I ended up telling L everything like I had been wanting to for some time: my time as a shinigami, my past with Satoshi, and my time as Light's accomplice. It was nice to finally share everything but there was a sharp bitterness to it, as L wasn't actually hearing any of it. I kept talking anyway. The next couple of months passed like this with the boys working hard on the case and me indulging in my own form of comfort.

Finally, the day came when we got all the information we could alone. It was time to find others to help, which was why we were going to talk to the FBI director in New York. On that day I was sitting in front of L's grave, telling him about how well his successors were doing. I had a feeling he would be proud of them.

"The two have figured out so much...almost everything really. We should be heading to New York soon. We'll meet the FBI Director there and he'll get us some task force members of our own..." I trailed off as I thought about the Japanese task force. "I kind of miss Aizawa, Matsuda and the others."

"I am sure they miss you as well." I jumped at the sudden voice. I looked back and saw Watari standing close by. I blushed a bit, wondering how long he had been watching me talk to the grave. I scowled slightly once I actually registered his words.

"Hmmm…at least one of them doesn't." I muttered, thinking of Kira. Watari's smile fell slightly but he said nothing as I turned back towards the grave. We stood silently with only the sound of the rustling leaves filling the air. Maybe it was the prospect of sharing something that had been weighing me down with someone living that brought out my next words.

"That wasn't the first time I had to watch someone very dear to me be buried." I said softly, staring sadly at L's engraved name. Watari said nothing, as if he knew there was more I wanted to say. "Now I have no one left." I sneered at myself. "And it's all my fault." Watari didn't ask any questions, which I was extremely grateful for.

"Whether you are responsible or not, I doubt such a thing crossed their minds." He smiled encouragingly. "So you should not let such thoughts haunt you." I knew he was right but that didn't make my guilt any easier to dismiss. I didn't say that though and gave him a small smile instead. "Besides…you're not as alone as you think." I was a bit baffled by that but said nothing. His expression turned serious after a minute.

"I actually came here to tell you that the boys are ready to travel to New York."

"I see." I said softly, staring forlornly at the grave. I paused a moment then stood up. I reached out and gently brushed my hand across L's name.

"Goodbye L…I'll be back when it's all over." I said, smiling sadly but warmly. I lingered a few seconds, trying to memorize every detail as best as I could, then turned to follow Watari. It wasn't until I saw Near and Mello waiting in the foyer with suitcases that the situation sunk in. We were now noticeably closer to stopping Kira. My lips pulled back into a somewhat creepy grin as anticipation flooded me, causing me to tremble slightly. I knew there was still much more work to be done before then though so I did my best to calm myself. Mello was watching me intently but he didn't comment on my clearly manic state. My attention was diverted by Watari's approaching me with a familiar suitcase.

"I hope you don't mind but I went and retrieved your suitcase before I went to get you." I took the suitcase that had never really been unpacked from him with a smile.

"That's fine. Thank you." Now that we were all ready, we said our goodbyes to Roger and clambered into the cabbie parked outside. Mello refused to sit next to Near so I plopped down between them while Watari took the front seat.

"To the airport please." Watari said politely to the driver.

"Right away sir." The man said with a cheerful smile before driving off.

The flight to New York was a lot different than the flight to England, mostly because we weren't transporting a corpse with us. I was able to enjoy the flight this time around. Flying wasn't necessarily anything new to me but I had never gone above the clouds before and the sight proved to be rather breathtaking. It looked like an ocean of white. I wanted to reach out and touch it. I could do that but didn't, as that would of course raise some red flags with the others. I settled for just watching it all go by.

"It's amazing, isn't it?" Watari suddenly asked from his seat next to me. Near was on his other side but he was playing with his robot instead of focusing on us though he was probably subconsciously recording everything we said. Mello had gotten a seat on the other side of the aisle and he was obviously pleased with this.

"Yes it is." I said beaming. "It's incredible that humans were able to create such a thing to allow them to fly through the skies." He smiled. I had actually heard about planes while with Satoshi but they hadn't reached this gigantic size during that time. I never expected to actually fly on one but it was a worthwhile experience.

"Yes, humans are an incredible species." Watari said. I couldn't help but feel that he knew my true nature with the way he smiled knowingly. I wasn't worried though as he was clearly okay with it and hadn't told anyone. I gave a similar smile to let him know that I realized he knew. He nodded then turned back to the book he had been reading while I turned my attention to the window once more.

I had thought that Tokyo had startlingly tall buildings but those were nothing compared to the buildings of New York. The buildings, called skyscrapers, really lived up to their names as they reached far up into the sky and some of them even looked to be made of glass instead of simply covered in windows. The airport was filled with people. Watari held Near's hand in order to not lose him in the bustling crowd. Mello just pushed his way through without caring about the annoyed people he left in his wake. I followed behind him with a sigh.

It was absolute chaos outside the airport. People were yelling for cabs and pushing each other to reach the closest ones. Thankfully, we didn't have to go through all that as there was a car waiting for us that was sent by the director. The driver took us to a nice hotel to drop off our suitcases. Watari took the time to put on his long, black trench coat and wide brimmed hat before getting back into the car. He had to wear it as his identity was actually well known as he was a famous inventor and the FBI was very likely to recognize him. Near and Mello didn't have to worry about that though.

"I know we just got off the plane but I thought you would want to meet with the director as soon as possible." Watari said to me as the car drove off.

"Yes, thank you."

Nothing more was really said until we were actually meeting the director. I watched quietly as Watari introduced Mello and Near to the bald man. I was also introduced but the two boys were the main focus. They told him about how L was dead and that the Kira task force was pretending he was still alive.

"We were hoping to make a task force of our own to arrest Kira."

"If you want a special division dedicated to catching Kira, you'll need to speak with the president."

"Of course. Could you arrange that?" Watari asked.

"Yes."

"Please do."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The president didn't need as much convincing as I had expected. It seemed just having Watari there was enough for him to believe that Mello and Near were actually L's successors, which makes sense when you think about it. He agreed to create the Special Provision for Kira, called SPK for short, which consisted of FBI and CIA agents. A special headquarters was chosen for us and we met the other members a couple days later. The main investigation room at the new headquarters had a similar set up to the old one in Japan with numerous computer screens. However, it didn't have the same familiar, almost homely feel. Maybe because it was a room filled with strangers or maybe because it was missing the heart that was L himself.

During the investigation, Near seemed to take a shine to one of the members specifically. The blond man, Rester, had an intimidating figure but was rather kind, much like Mogi was. He followed orders without issue and didn't seem at all bothered by Near's habit of playing with toys. He could take charge when needed to though and often issued Near and Mello's orders to the others. It was never explicitly stated but everyone saw him as Near's self-appointed guardian, bodyguard and second in command. The other members didn't really know what to make of the two boys though. It must have been strange to take orders from someone many years their junior but they had no choice but to do so. They came around though once the two showed off their strong intellect. Mello still made things a little difficult at times but really just because his attitude got on some of their nerves. Watari had taken up his old position as the behind the scenes computer technician.

The first order of business that was decided was to confiscate the Death Note that was currently in the Japanese task force's possession. Near and Mello rightfully suspected that the fake L was actually Kira and wanted to get it away from him, though they didn't share this detail with the SPK. The way to do that though was to talk to the NPA director so we sent an agent to do just that.

We had the agent wear a bug so we could hear his conversation with the director. I heard a familiar voice come through when he got to the director's office.

"That's Mr. Yagami." I said to myself, wondering why he was in the office with the director. Near heard me and had the agent ask Mr. Yagami to stay while he spoke with the director.

"Please stay. This concerns you as well, Mr. Soichiro Yagami."

"How do you know who I am? Who are you?" Mr. Yagami's voice turned gruffer with suspicion.

"I'm FBI Agent, John MacEnroe."

"What is it that you're here for?" The director asked, sounding wary.

"I'll make it simple. It has been decided that the Japanese police are no longer fit to handle the Kira case. We demand that you hand the Death Note over to us."

"What?! How can you say that?" Mr. Yagami shouted.

"You have made no progress in the case in almost two years. We feel that it is best to hand the case over to someone that can produce better results." Mr. Yagami said nothing but I could assume he was fuming still.

"Unfortunately, I do not know where the Death Note is." The director spoke up. "You'd have to ask Yagami or L where it is."

"Well, Mr. Yagami…will you cooperate?" The agent asked.

"I'll need to speak with L first." I couldn't help but scowl at that. Mello must have shared my sentiments as he was scowling along with me.

"Of course. I'll leave you with the FBI director's number so you can contact us. Please do as soon as possible; we're just as eager to stop all this."

The agent left after that. I could easily imagine Mr. Yagami running straight to the others to tell them what had happened. I felt my blood boil when I realized we would soon be hearing from Kira himself.

Third POV:

Mr. Yagami quickly made his way back to Light's new apartment, which is where the new headquarters was set up. He burst in, drawing everyone's attention.

"An FBI agent came by today demanding that we hand over the Death Note."

"Why would they do that?" Matsuda asked.

"They say we are no longer best suited to investigate Kira. They have started their own investigation and want the Death Note for themselves."

"They probably just want to use it." Matsuda reasoned.

"Clearly we are not going to give it to them." Aizawa said.

"Did they give you a way to contact them?" Ide asked.

"Yes, they gave me their director's phone number."

"Let's call him then." They all turned when Kira finally spoke up.

"Right." Mr. Yagami stepped forward and handed the number over to his son. Kira silently inputted the number into the secure phone line. The others gathered around as the phone started to ring.

"Hello."

"This is L." The director gasped. They could hear him say something to someone but it was too muffled for them to understand. There was a sudden click that Kira recognized as the line being transferred.

"Pleased to meet you, L number 2." A soft voice came through instead of the director's gruff voice. Kira froze for a second but then grinned wickedly when he realized what was happening.

"Number 2? What do you mean by that?" He asked though that grin never left his face.

"Cut the crap. We know L is dead." Another voice much rougher than the first cut in. Kira heard the others behind him start talking amongst themselves but he was more focused on this new development.

"Is that why you think we can no longer handle the Kira case?"

"Well…that's one of the reasons." The soft voice was back.

"Plus the fact that you haven't done shit." There's the other one again.

"We rather not share the other reasons with you as of this point." Soft again. "In the mean time, I guess we should introduce ourselves. I'm Near and my rough, impatient companion here is Mello."

"Don't you start." Mello growled at Near. Near ignored him.

"We are L's true successors." He announced, getting quite the shocked reaction from the task force. He continued once they calmed down. "We head a new organization known as the SPK or Special Provision for Kira. We'll be investigating Kira on our own without the help of L."

"Oh? Is that solely because you see me as incompetent?" Kira asked, suspecting that there was more to it than that.

"No. We also don't quite trust you." Near's soft voice steeled suddenly, showing the mistrust. Kira said nothing at first but he eventually decided to confirm his earlier hunch.

"There wouldn't happen to be a young woman named Akishi there, would there?" The task force members behind him showed surprise at the question. Neither Near nor Mello said anything but the sudden feminine voice was confirmation enough.

"Hello. Did you miss me?" Akishi said in a misleadingly affable voice that was only meant to fool the others and not Kira himself.

"Oh very much. It hasn't been the same without you." Kira said, going along with Akishi's act, though his sinister expression didn't match his tone or words.

"Oh I'm sure you all managed just fine." There was a held pause before she continued. "I'm guessing you won't be giving us the notebook."

"That's right. Not that I don't trust you Akishi, but we don't feel comfortable giving the notebook to anyone."

"I see. Oh well."

"I'm sure we'll be talking again in the future." Near said once the conversation died out.

"Indeed." Kira agreed.

"Until then…Goodbye." The call ended.

"I can't believe Akishi is working with them." Matsuda grumbled to himself.

"That is a little strange. I wonder why she joined them instead of coming back to us." Aizawa wondered aloud.

"Yeah! She even abandoned Light." Matsuda cried indignantly.

"I'm sure she had her reasons." Kira said, trying to pacify the man. The others continued to talk but Kira blocked them out as he thought of his next course of action. He smirked once he cemented his plan in his mind.

_I'll have Teru Mikami take care of them._

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Shouldn't we have insisted on them handing over the notebook?" Rester asked from his place behind Near once the call ended.

"Nothing you do or say would convince him to." I answered for Near, feeling surprisingly calm after that brief encounter with Kira. I was still furious underneath but mostly calm.

"You seem very familiar with him." Near pointed out. I turned to face his piercing gaze, which was burning with suspicion.

"Of course. Out of all the task force members, I know him best." I admitted, unafraid of revealing such a thing at this point. Instead I was hoping it would provide a clue to Kira's identity. Neither said anything though it clearly sparked their suspicion and interest.

"What are the chances that Kira is doing the killings himself?" Mello asked, surprising me.

"Before this he would have been, but now that he knows we're suspicious of him he'll have someone one else do them in case the other task force members become suspicious as well." I replied, glad to actually contribute.

"Then we need to find this new Kira. Any ideas who that could be?" Near asked me, increasing my surprise. I paused to really think about my time with Kira and what I knew about him. The Kira I was familiar with was still a part of Light but I was confident I understood him enough. I figured Kira would be completely done with Misa at that point. He wouldn't kill her because that would be suspicious but he'd no doubt transfer her notebook to someone else, someone who would make the deal for the shinigami eyes.

"He wouldn't choose just any follower or Kira fanatic. It'd have to be someone intelligent, someone who can think and act for themselves if need be. They'd have to be devoted enough to Kira's ideals that they'd do anything he says or sacrifice  **anything** for the sake of Kira's new world." I emphasized, hoping the two would understand that I was talking about the shinigami eyes. The look they gave me told me they got the hint. "It wouldn't be anyone he knows personally though." I added as a last thought.

"How would he find this person then?" Rester asked us.

"Perhaps among the gatherings of those stupid Kira supporters." Mello suggested.

"Kira wouldn't go to those himself." I interjected.

"A televised one then."

"If what Akishi said is true, he wouldn't just pick any follower. He'd have to know enough about the person to see that they would follow his ideals well enough to his liking." Near reasoned.

"Certain television networks run Kira specials with surveys from those that participate." Lidner suddenly spoke up. "I thought it best to focus on all Kira related media." She quickly explained when we gave her questioning looks.

"That is a suitable place to start." Near agreed.

"That's what we'll do then. Get those networks on the screens!" Rester ordered the other members that had been sitting around listening the whole time. They scrambled to follow his orders. I sighed as I resigned myself to staring at obnoxious television for who knows how long.

Just as I expected, the next couple days consisted of watching obnoxious television and reading the profiles of those participating in the stupidity. I would have gladly kept doing just that if I had known what was about to happen instead.

"The number of Kira supporters on Sakura TV on August 24th at 2:00 pm was around forty to thirty-five. Among them…" I zoned out as one of the members spouted off information that sounded the same as all the rest. I hadn't expected us to find the new Kira easily but I had underestimated just how long and tedious of a process it would be.

**"UGH!"**

I jumped at the sudden howl of pain. The agent that had been talking clutched at his chest and fell over. He twitched uncontrollably then went still as his lifespan vanished. The agents around him stared with wide, fearful eyes, waiting for others to fall and dreading that they would be next. Turns out they were right to be worried. One by one, they all fell with similar cries of pain. The only ones left were Near, Mello, Watari, Rester, Lidner, Gevanni and me. The rest of the SPK members littered the floor among the dice that had fallen to the floor when Near accidently knocked over his city made of dice stacks.

"Shit." Mello mumbled around the cigarette he had refused to put out earlier, which now hung lax from his lips.

Normally, I would have been horrified by the carnage but it just made me angrier. I sat in my chair with my one leg still drawn up to my chest. I stared straight forward as I let the fury consume me once more. Just one thought crossed my mind.

_Damn you, Kira._

The next day was a grim one. The headquarters now felt so empty. I hadn't ever spoken to any of the now deceased members but I still felt the loss of human life keenly.

"Kira must have gotten their information from the president; he was the only one who had all the members' information." Rester said to the mourning group.

"Strange that Kira already knew we existed." Gevanni added his own input.

"It's no coincidence." Near stated tensely. "Get me in touch with the fake L." He demanded. We all flinched at his unusually sharp tone. He was quickly patched through. He didn't even wait for Kira to say anything before speaking.

"That was rather childish of you." Near said, voice still sharp.

"What are you talking about?" Kira asked innocently.

"Most of the SPK members were just killed."

"That's awful." His barely concealed laughter really infuriated me but I kept quiet.

"Quite a coincidence that such a tragedy struck right after we revealed ourselves to you, don't you think?"

"What are you implying?"

"I am implying that you are in fact Kira."

"Ha-ha. Me? Kira?"

"Drop the bullshit! No matter what you say, we know you're him." Mello yelled, gripping the back of Near's chair and leaning towards the screen as if Kira could see him.

"We know that a Kira suspect joined the task force after he was cleared from suspicion. We believe that person is you." Near continued.

"Indeed I am but, as you just said, I was cleared of suspicion."

"Yes. I heard it was because of the supposed thirteen-day rule, if I'm not mistaken."

"Yes. I was confined for a time longer than thirteen days and, as you can see, I am still alive. Therefore I couldn't be Kira." Kira was clearly saying all this to re-cement the task force's belief in his innocence.

"That would be the case…if the rule was real."

"What do you mean by that?" Kira's voice went tense. Near smirked.

"We believe that the thirteen-day rule is false. The true L seemed to believe that as well since he was planning to test it before his unfortunate demise."

"The shinigami that came with the Death Note said there were no fake rules." Kira insisted. I wonder if he thought I told them they were false.

"The shinigami could have been lying, especially if Kira was in the room." Near said, hammering his point in even more. Kira didn't respond to Near's further implication.

"There's no way of knowing whether it's real or not." He said instead.

"Not true…you could test it."

"We'd never sacrifice someone's life to test such a thing!" Aizawa suddenly shouted.

"That's right." Mr. Yagami sternly agreed.

"I see. You're using the task force's moral principles to your advantage…clever."

"Don't compliment that bastard." Mello snarled at Near and I had to agree with him. Near ignored the dirty looks we gave him though.

"In any case…I'd like to address the members of the Japanese task force now." He waited a moment to make sure they were all paying attention. "If any of you wish to contact us for any reason you are more than welcome to. I'll call again and leave a number once we've made it to Japan in a few days."

"You're coming to Japan?" Kira asked.

"Why of course. It only makes sense since Kira is in Japan. We'll be quite close to each other. We might even get the chance to meet face-to-face."

"I hope so." We could all hear Kira's smirk now. Near joined in on the smirking.

"Well, that'll be something to look forward to."

"Yes."

"When that time comes, we'll finish this Kira matter once and for all."

"Definitely." Near cut the connection.

"We're going to Japan?" Rester asked.

"Of course. We must if we plan on confronting Kira."

"We have to find the new Kira first." Mello reminded him.

"Naturally."

"I'll arrange a flight." Watari suddenly cut in.

"Thank you Watari." I quickly went to help pack away the expensive equipment, eager to go back to Japan.

It took a few days to get everything set for us to head out to Japan but it was worth it. I had come to like plane rides actually, though it still didn't beat using my own wings to fly. The extremely long flight to Japan was uneventful for the most part. Things changed when got close to Japan.

I was flipping through the channels on the plane's television when a familiar face on a Japanese news network caught my eye.

"This is Kiyomi Takada of NHN News."

 _Wow she certainly went places,_  I thought as I stared at the woman Light had pretended to date during his time at university.

"NHN received a message from Kira, appointing me as his new spokesperson." I stared in absolute disbelief for a second before quickly nudging the sleeping Mello, who was in the seat beside me. He woke instantly. He turned his sleepy gaze on me.

"What?" He asked. I simply pointed at the screen. He leaned across me to take a look. He couldn't hear it but the words below Takada told him enough. He jumped up from his seat and turned towards where Near was sitting with Rester.

"Turn to NHN!" He yelled to them, alarming the people sitting nearby. Rester heard him and did just that. Near put his toy robot down for the moment to watch the screen. Mello sat back down. He yanked one of the ear buds out my ear and put it in his. He squished against my side to watch with me instead of putting on his own TV. I figured he hadn't thought of it in his urgency. I left him be and thought about this new development. There was no way Kira would have chosen Takada as she was known as one of his girlfriends. That must mean that the new Kira chose her. I smirked. This was just the thing we needed.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

We waited till we were at the new headquarters before talking about the new development in the Kira case.

"So this Kiyomi Takada was chosen by Kira to be his new spokesperson." Gevanni said as he unpacked some equipment.

"There must be some connection between them, otherwise he wouldn't have chosen such a rookie news anchor." Lidner suggested.

"There is." I said, drawing everyone's attention. "But it wasn't the original Kira that chose her." I said before they could ask questions. "He'd never choose someone that could be linked back to him."

"You still haven't told us how you know so much about Kira." Gevanni said, giving me a suspicious look.

"It doesn't really matter at this point as I'm here now but I'll tell you if you want." I said, looking towards Near and Mello for it was their decision that mattered in this case. They said nothing to stop me so I decided to just blurt it out.

"I was his first accomplice." Everyone looked shocked, with the exception of Near and Mello of course, even though that was exactly what they were suspecting. "But Kira is no longer the man he once was. I'm done helping him. Now…" I turned towards them, eyes smoldering. "I want to stop him."

"I trust her." Mello said before the others could start flinging accusations.

"I as well." Near said, without looking up from the action figures in his hands. I didn't admit it but I was rather touched by their trust in me. I gave each a small smile at least.

"If you two are okay with this then we have no choice but to accept it." Rester said.

"I'm glad, because there's something important that I have to go and do now that we are in Japan."

"Might I ask what that is?" Since it was Near asking, I decided to answer.

"Kira had hidden another Death Note somewhere only he and I knew about. I want to go and move it elsewhere so he can't use it."

"Will you bring it back here?"

"I rather not. Its powers have shown to be quite the temptation and I've seen it corrupt its user…I rather not risk it. I'll hide it somewhere so I won't be tempted either." There was no chance of that really but I said it to reassure them.

"Very well."

"Before I do that though…we should go back to the Takada situation. As I said, the original Kira wouldn't have chosen Takada, which means the new Kira did. He has some connection to her as well."

"We shall investigate her as well as those Kira supporter gatherings. See if anyone from those gatherings has met her." Near decided. Rester and the others nodded then went back to unpacking so they could continue investigating.

I left the headquarters then to go get my other Death Note. Thankfully, it was still hidden exactly where it was before. I strapped it back around my waist next to the other one. I took the time to stop at Satoshi's grave. I told him what had happened since my last visit, choking up when mentioning L's death. I wanted to stay a lot longer but decided that my time would be better spent helping the investigation. All the equipment was set up the next day and things were back on line. Near made a quick call to the Japanese task force.

"We're calling to let you know that we've arrived in Japan."

"Welcome-"

"Sorry, no time to chat; just wanted to leave our contact information if any of the task force wants to contact us." Near rudely cut Kira off, making me snicker.

Kira didn't even say anything though he was no doubt annoyed at being brushed off so easily. He seemed to accept that he couldn't stop us from potentially planting a seed of doubt in the mind of one of the task force members. Knowing him, he was probably still confident that he would win. Near left the number then cut the connection. I hoped one of the task force members would contact us but I wasn't holding out much hope. I pushed the thought to the back of my mind and focused back on the investigation.

It turns out I should have had more faith. The next day we did get a call. I smiled once I recognized the uncharacteristically nervous voice.

"H-hello. I'm with the Japanese task force."

"Hello Mr. Aizawa." I greeted, happy to hear from the man.

"Akishi? So this is the right number."

"Indeed it is." Near cut in. "For what reason did you contact us?" I rolled my eyes at his ruining the small reunion between Aizawa and I before it could really start.

"I have information that I wish to share…would it be possible to meet?"

"You wish to meet instead of just relaying it over the phone?"

"Yes." Aizawa insisted without giving an explanation. Near hesitated.

"You can trust him." I assured him quietly. Near sighed.

"Fine. I'll arrange for you to be retrieved. Where are you now?"

Near sent Gevanni to go retrieve Aizawa. I spun my computer chair lazily as I eagerly awaited the man's arrival. I'll admit I was eager to see the man again. I was always rather fond of him, maybe because that temper of his reminded me of my own. That must be it for I was developing a similar fondness for the hotheaded Mello.

I spun my chair to face the door when it started to open. I raised an eyebrow at the ridiculous blindfold glasses Aizawa was wearing. Near asked him a couple questions before allowing him to remove the glasses. The look of utter bafflement and disbelief that crossed the man's face at the sight of Near surrounded by toys in the middle of the floor was priceless. I chuckled, catching his attention. Aizawa cursed softly once he laid eyes on me.

"I must look pretty bad if that's the greeting I get." I joked but I understood for I knew how I looked. My skin had turned a startling pale color and there was a sort of lifelessness to my eyes that wasn't there before, both of which I attributed to L's death. The bags under my eyes enhanced it and also painfully reminded me of L. I knew I looked bad even before I looked in the mirror as Mello and the others had been sending me concerned looks for a while.

"What was it you wished to share with us, Mr. Aizawa?" Near asked without turning to face the man. Aizawa forced his gaze from me and turned it on Near.

"Kiyomi Takada was just appointed as Kira's-"

"We are well aware of that. We are investigating her as we speak." Near rudely interrupted. Aizawa bristled at that but continued anyway.

"We've been investigating her as well. L has been meeting with her since she was appointed."

"Don't call him that!" I snapped harshly, unable to hold in my ire. Aizawa looked over at me with wide eyes, unsure what to make of that response. Mello sent me a short, sad look that he probably thought I was unaware of.

"Yes, we've been calling him the fake L. We'd appreciate if you'd do the same." Near said, unfazed by my outburst.

"…Uh okay?" Aizawa agreed, still looking confused.

"You say he's been meeting with her. Is it face-to-face?"

"Yes, he claimed to know her personally." Near glanced my way, seeing that as a confirmation of what I had said before.

"You must have found that suspicious, otherwise you wouldn't be here."

"Yes. I want to believe in him but things just don't feel right." The man grudgingly admitted.

"We'll take what you just said into account. In the meantime, I wish to ask you a few questions."

"Uh sure…go ahead."

"The fake L said he had been cleared of suspicion. However, you only learned the rules of the Death Note later. How was he cleared during that time then?"

"L devised a test to see whether he was guilty or not. He had Deputy Director Yagami put on an act. He was instructed to tell the suspects that they had both been found guilty of being Kira and the second Kira and that they were going to be executed. Then on the way, the deputy director pulled over and pointed a gun at the suspect. He said that he would first kill Kira, then himself. We figured that if both suspects were in fact Kira both would have been desperate enough to kill him on the spot." I listened attentively, intrigued; I hadn't heard of that before. However, the flaws of the plan were obvious and neither boy failed to notice.

"Well that was pointless." Mello said with his usual snarky tone.

"What do you mean?" Aizawa asked tensely, glaring at the leather clad teen.

"Neither had the Death Note on them, right? So they couldn't have killed the geezer even if they wanted to." Aizawa's jaw dropped. Apparently he only just now realized that.

"Not that it would have mattered." Near continued, barely giving the flabbergasted man time to recover. "The suspect started acting strange during his confinement, didn't he?"

"Uh yeah?"

"Did the suspect volunteer to be detained?"

"Yes."

"That settles it then. The fake L is Kira. He gave up ownership of the Death Note during his confinement in order to lose his memories and throw off suspicion." Aizawa said nothing as he let it all sink in.

"So who's the bastard pretending to be L?" Mello asked, leaning back against one of the computer desks. Aizawa hesitated.

"I can't tell you that much. I'm willing to cooperate, but I'm still a member of the Japanese task force working under L." He eventually said, looking resolved. I expected an outburst from Mello but he just stared silently at the man. Near was also peeking over his shoulder at Aizawa with his piercing eyes.

"I understand. That's all we need from you for now. You're free to go." I sighed at Near's unintentionally rude dismissal.

"I'll walk him out." I offered, hoping to soothe Aizawa's ruffled feathers.

"Shouldn't one of us escort him back?" Gevanni asked, holding up the weird blindfold glasses for emphasis.

"I assure you it's alright if he makes it back on his own; we can trust him." Neither Near nor Mello said anything to dispute my words so Gevanni let me leave the room with Aizawa. We walked silently down the hallway for a bit until we entered the elevator. My companion kept sending me glances, letting me know there was a question brewing in that head of his.

"What is it?" I asked while keeping an eye on the elevator doors.

"So why did you join the SPK instead of coming back to us?" He asked just as we reached the bottom floor. I exited the elevator silently as I thought best how to explain.

"I loved L." He stumbled in his steps then gave me a skeptical look. I laughed softly at the look, understanding it must have been a little hard to believe considering what L had been like. He really shouldn't have that hard of a time believing it though considering my reaction to L's death.

"Despite what you think, I really did." My smile fell. "So there's no way I could go back without killing Light right there."

"So you think Light is guilty too?" We finally reached the doors. I unlocked them for him. He walked out but stopped to wait for my answer.

"I know he is." I closed and locked the doors. I gave Aizawa a small wave, too filled by negative emotions to offer him a better goodbye. I turned and left. It seemed the others in the investigation room had been waiting for me to return before discussing the information Aizawa gave us. The test L had devised held their full attention.

"He said shoot him and then himself. The only reason Mr. Yagami would do that is…"

"If he was related to the suspect and felt responsible for him turning out as Kira." Mello finished for Near.

"Yes, which means that the fake L and original Kira is none other than his son, Light Yagami." Near concluded, holding up a photo of Light. They both turned towards me, waiting for my confirmation. I laughed, but only because I would have cried otherwise.

"You two certainly kept me waiting long enough." I chided them but I was smiling, ecstatic and beyond relieved that they had finally figured it out. Mello smirked and Near grinned in response, looking proud of themselves. It was a short celebration though as we still needed to identify the new Kira. We threw ourselves back into the investigation with new enthusiasm, eager to finally put this case to an end.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The televised Kira gatherings really were much too alike in my opinion; they blurred together much too easily. I felt my brain numb as another money hungry host praised Kira among a crowd of cheering fanatics. I still watched though, doing my best to find the final piece that would bring the Kira case to a close.

"This guy…" I spun my chair to peek over at Mello. He had paused the video he was watching and was staring intently at one man. I rolled my chair over to get a look. It was obvious why this man in particular caught his attention. The man, Teru Mikami, was a dark mass among bright colors; literally since he was the only one dressed in a black suit. Everyone around him was cheering and shouting but he stood silently. His dark eyes never left the camera. He was given the opportunity to speak at one point.

"I'd like to hear Kira's voice. I want to hear his thoughts once again. We should follow his teachings exactly as Kira ordered. To me, it's obviously the quickest path to lasting world peace. It's our duty to improve our society. If there are no words or orders from Kira, then we have only one choice; we need to think for ourselves. We need to consider what Kira has told us, determine what he wants most, and make our own decisions from there." Mikami said passionately, eyes burning with an intellect that those around him lacked.

"When was this aired?" I asked, getting the same feel that Mello was.

"A couple days before Takada was appointed as spokesperson." He said, prompting Near to come over and take a look.

"That man was on a debate program with Takada once." Near told us, bringing up a recording of it on the screen next to the one Mikami was on. There was no mistake that they were both the same man.

"That is Teru Mikami. He's a prosecutor." Lidner read off from the paper we had gotten about the shows Takada was on.

"A prosecutor. He most likely has a strong sense of justice. He'd be more than aware of how easily some criminals get away with their crimes." Near deduced.

"So he got tired of it and therefore turned to Kira. What an idiot." Mello crossed his arms and pushed back his chair to place his feet on the desk. Rester gave him a disapproving look but Mello ignored him.

"He fits the type that Kira would be looking for in a proxy. He sounds like the perfect replacement for the second Kira." I told them.

"The second Kira was Misa Amane, correct?"

"Yes. She was too driven by her emotions for Kira's tastes."

"We'll have to investigate Mikami then. Gevanni." Near called out.

"Yes!" The man stood at attention, awaiting orders.

"I want you to tail him, see if he does anything suspicious."

"Will do."

"Make sure not to be seen. He will most likely have the shinigami eyes." I warned him. He paled but still agreed to the orders.

"Don't we have to worry about the shinigami following Mikami?" Mello asked.

"No. That shinigami is on no one's side. He simply seeks amusement. If he sees that Mikami is being followed he will most likely just laugh and that is if he is following Mikami. He's more likely to stay with the original." I informed them, knowing that the shinigami possibly following Mikami could only be Ryuk. Ryuk seemed to prefer being by Kira as he had formed a sort of attachment to him; he found him the most interesting.

"You've met this shinigami?"

"Yes. I've touched his Death Note so I can see him." I lied slightly.

"That's good. You can tell us if he is indeed following Mikami."

"Get me some footage of Mikami and I'll let you know." I said, smiling.

Gevanni started to tail Mikami the next day. Rester found me some surveillance footage of Mikami on a lunch break. Ryuk was nowhere in sight but that didn't necessarily mean that he wasn't hanging around somewhere. Mikami started talking to himself. Upon reading his lips, Rester stated that Mikami was saying that his shinigami hadn't been around since he gave him the Death Note. That seemed to reassure Rester and Lidner but I saw through the whole thing and recognized it for what it was…bait.

Kira knew we would find Mikami eventually and was using that in some plan of his. He wanted us to know that Mikami didn't have a shinigami shadowing him so we would continue to investigate him. He final goal was obvious but exactly how he planned on killing Near and Mello alluded me. I said all this to Near and Mello but they still had Gevanni tail him.

"We've got a plan of our own in the making." Mello stated confidently. "We just need to know for sure that Mikami is doing the killings." I know that that was meant to reassure me but it did nothing to ease my worry.

Gevanni continued to tail Mikami over the next few days while telling us of everything he did. We learned that Mikami followed a strict schedule that went beyond ridiculous. He did everything on the dot. I wondered if that was just his personality or if Kira told him to do that to make it easier for us to tail him. He did nothing suspicious beyond how methodical he was. Until one day…

It was the end of the day and Gevanni and Mikami were riding a train on Mikami's way home. As luck would have it, there was also a man harassing a woman on the train too. There's was no way a man of such strong ideals as Mikami would let such a thing go unpunished.

"Mikami just took out his cell phone." We listened attentively as Gevanni narrated each of Mikami's actions. "He's taking a photo of the assailant and doing something with it." That really caught my attention while everyone else was focused solely on Gevanni's next words. "Mikami just pulled out a notebook." Gevanni's voice sped up in anticipation. "He's writing something. Oh! He's getting off the train." We all heard a woman scream, letting us know without Gevanni telling us that the assailant had died.

"So Mikami is the one doing the killings." Rester stated, certain of the fact.

"No…he's not." They all turned my way, waiting for me to explain. "He took a picture of the man before writing in the notebook. That isn't needed for him to kill him; he must have sent it to someone. He probably used the shinigami eyes to give them the man's name. It was that person that killed the man, not Mikami." It was a little farfetched but I couldn't shake the feeling that my conclusion was right.

"So that notebook that he was writing in..."

"Was probably a fake. It's just the sort of thing the original Kira would think of." I concluded.

"We'll need to find the real one then." Mello sighed.

"But where should we look?" Lidner asked.

"Where would most people keep things that they want secure and inaccessible to others?" Near asked, clearly knowing the answer but giving us the opportunity to figure it out.

"The bank." We said in unison.

"We'll need someone to check in Mikami's safe deposit box."

"I'll do it." I offered, knowing I'd be the only one to know for sure if any notebook there was real or not.

"I don't think that's a good idea." Mello said, unsure.

"I disagree." Near argued. "She's had experience with the Death Note before. Who better suited to check than her?" There seemed to be a double meaning in his words. I paled when I realized that Near knew…he knew I was a shinigami. He hadn't said anything aloud about it though so I relaxed for the moment. Mello looked like he wanted to protest further but ultimately agreed.

"I'll go now." I decided. Rester told me which bank Mikami used and which safe deposit box was his. He also needlessly told me how to get into the deposit box in great detail and provided the tools to do so. I listened though so they would trust me with this big task. Mello insisted on driving me there on his motorcycle, which was a fun new experience for me. The speed and rush of wind was exhilarating.

I went inside the bank and headed right for one of the empty hallways. I went intangible then simply strolled straight to where the deposit boxes were. I phased my arm through the box and immediately my hand made contact with a Death Note. The rush of energy that shot up my arm at the touch let me know it was real. I took pictures of each page as instructed then placed it back in the box. I smirked triumphantly, feeling that I had helped the SPK get ahead of Kira. The smirk remained plastered to my face as I left the bank. Mello scrutinized me from his seat on the motorcycle.

"I'm guessing it was there." Mello said, providing a smirk of his own.

"Yup. Let's get these pictures back to the others." He tossed me a helmet before putting his own back on. I straddled the motorcycle once more and wrapped my arms around Mello's waist. He sped off, drawing an exhilarated laugh from somewhere deep in my chest. It felt like he took a longer route back but I didn't mind; I was having a wonderful time. I loosened my grip slightly and stared at the passing cars and buildings, feeling surprisingly light despite the weight of the rushing wind. All my pain and rage seemed to fade away during the time that we rode. It had been so long since I felt so elated. Unfortunately, it couldn't last. Everything came crashing back down on me the moment we pulled up at headquarters. I took it in stride though, remembering our momentary victory.

I handed the small camera to Rester, who put the pictures up on the numerous screens. Seeing them all at once was really staggering. There were so many names…so many people killed. Guilt overwhelmed me but I was distracted from it by Near's words.

"So this is the Death Note." Near had this rather creepy grin on his face while he gazed intently at the pictures. It made me worried that the Death Note's temptation was strong enough to enthrall from mere photographs. The look on his face passed quickly though so I tried not to dwell on it at the time being.

"Rester." The man strode up to stand beside Near, awaiting orders. "Contact Gevanni."

"Right away." Rester went to one of the computers and typed in a series of letters and numbers.

"Sir." Gevanni greeted as he appeared on the screen.

"I need you to take pictures of the fake notebook Mikami is carrying."

"So we now know for sure that it is fake?"

"Indeed. Can you do what I asked?"

"Yes, sir."

Conveniently, Mikami went to the gym the next day so Gevanni had time to do as Near ordered. We compared the pictures and the small, precise handwriting on each proved that Mikami had written in the real Death Note sometime before using the fake one. He also wrote a full page each day in the fake notebook, further showing his methodical tendencies.

"This will work just fine in our plan." Mello declared. I asked them what their plan was. They recited it to me in great detail. I couldn't help but be impressed. I didn't know for sure whether it would work but I would be there if things went bad. If it came down to it, I would kill Kira and Mikami to save the others, sacrificing myself for the sake of revenge and the good of the world.

The next few days consisted of preparing for the plan and seeing if Mikami changed his schedule at all. He kept up the one page per day so Near and Mello decided it was time to put the plan into action. He had Rester go and retrieve Misa and had Lidner retrieve Takada. He had both woman confined to certain rooms at headquarters so they wouldn't be able to provide Kira with any aid. Mogi, who had been acting as Misa's manager, was also brought in so he could be there during the final confrontation. Kira called right on schedule.

"Near." He sounded a touch alarmed. "We have a problem. Mogi, Misa and Takada have gone missing."

"I'm already aware of that. I was the one who took them into custody."

"For what reason?" Kira asked with the expected degree of outrage. He didn't sound at all surprised though; he was probably expecting this.

"Oh, just in case." Near smirked down at his robot. "I want to meet you." He suddenly stated, shocking the Japanese task force but not Kira. This no doubt fit right into Kira's plan.

"What?"

"There is something we must show you pertaining to the Kira case."

"But, don't you suspect me of being Kira? Do you really think it's wise to show your face to me?"

"That's true. We cannot show you unless we reveal our faces. Furthermore, the very act of showing our faces will prove something. And that will bring this case to a close."

"All right, fine. As far as I'm concerned, the sooner you realize you're wrong about me, the better." I rolled my eyes at that. The two proceeded to set up the rules of the meeting, such as where, when and who would be there. The Japanese task force hesitated when they were told to bring their Death Note to the meeting but agreed after some persuasion.

"Well then, 1 o'clock, 3 days from now."

"See you then."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Those three days couldn't have passed any slower. I was drowning in anticipation by the time the day arrived. Whether the plan went as expected or not, today was the day Kira died by my hands. I couldn't stop trembling as we stood waiting in the warehouse. I started biting on my thumbnail again without meaning to. I glanced over at Near and Mello and once again nearly burst out laughing at the ridiculous masks Near insisted on them wearing. Both were poor, ridiculous imitations of L's face with overly exaggerated bulging eyes. They said it was a precaution and I understood that. It was still a strange sight though. Near was busy arranging his small finger puppets to resemble the current situation in the warehouse. Each one of the puppets had the face of either an SPK member or Japanese task force member. He even had a little L, Mikami, Misa and Takada. Kira's didn't look like him but I found the one he had more appropriate. My puppet's face was blank though, proving that Near was indeed aware that my current form was just a farce. All those thoughts vanished when the time for the meeting finally came.

I tensed, as the big, heavy iron door was pulled open. Kira was right in the front. Seeing him again rekindled my murderous fury towards him. I didn't even see Light's face anymore. It was purely Kira's now with those dark, menacing eyes. I barely managed to hold myself back; my only solace was my certainty that his time was about to end. I also got a surprisingly comforting hand on my shoulder. I knew it was Mello since he was the only one standing beside me. I took a deep breath and pushed the hatred back deep inside. Mello lowered his hand to focus on the men arriving. I spotted Ryuk far in the back and he was silently laughing. I turned my attention back on Kira. The L masks seemed to infuriate him but he said nothing.

"That's the SPK. The two in the mask are Near and Mello." Aizawa said. Matsuda got all riled up about the fact that they were wearing masks. Near told them that they would remove their mask soon, after making sure that none of the task force was being controlled. Matsuda got impatient after thirty minutes so they finally removed them. Kira's eyes darkened as he hungrily took in their faces.

"You're quiet, Near." Kira said after several minutes of silence. His face was starting to twist up slightly, showing that he was holding in a smirk. "What's wrong? Are you still waiting for something?"

"Waiting?" Near parroted. "That's an excellent choice of words. Yes, I am waiting for the arrival of the one who will solve everything once and for all.

"Someone else is supposed to clear this up?" Ide asked.

"He'll be here soon." Near held up the Mikami puppet and put it on his finger. Upon further inspection, I noticed that the puppet was even holding a little Death Note. "It's only a matter of time. There is only one entrance to this building and the only way to look inside is by opening that door." Near pointed at the door that was to our right. It was dab between both groups and offered a clear view of everyone.

"That means he'll either walk through that door, or, at the very least, open it and peep through." Near continued to explain.

"And just who is this person, anyway?!" Matsuda asked, showing a surprising amount of disdain towards Near.

"The one who's currently using the notebook and killing people on Kira's behalf." Near answered calmly, unfazed. "He's bound to come here and bring the notebook with him. And then, he'll see Mello and me, and write down our real names. Or rather, he'll write down the names of everyone here who knows about the notebook, and kill them." There was understandably a lot of outrage from Matsuda and the others on that side of the warehouse.

"If someone comes into the warehouse through that door, just let him in without resisting. If the door opens slightly, simply act as if you don't notice anyone there." Near continued, ignoring the outcries. I felt a shiver down my spine. I glanced over at the door and saw an eye staring straight at me. I wondered what Mikami must have been thinking. I didn't have a surname or a lifespan. Would he still attempt to kill me or would he assume I am on Kira's side because of my lack of a lifespan? Near announced Mikami's arrival, spooking Matsuda. He nearly pulled out his gun but Rester stopped him.

"Everything is fine! You won't die!" Near assured the terrified man.

"How can you be so sure, Near?" Ide asked, looking just as terrified.

"Because I modified the notebook." Near announced, holding up the little puppet Death Note.

"We took possession of the notebook and replaced the pages. The person behind the door has been doing the killings for Kira. He's also been using exactly one page everyday. Based on that, we were able to replace the page he would use today as well as all subsequent pages so that no one else would die." He explained to the stunned task force.

"In roughly forty seconds, he'll look inside to see if we are dead. That's when we restrain him and seize the notebook. Whoever's name is not written down must be Kira."

"Kira would be the only one that guy wouldn't try to kill." Aizawa agreed but he still looked worried. Kira's face started twitching madly. I knew he must have been laughing uncontrollably inside, thinking he was going to win. Matsuda looked like he was going to have a heart attack purely from stress when the forty seconds started to pass.

"Teru Mikami!" Near suddenly called out. "If it's not too much trouble for you, won't you please come in and join us? " Mikami hesitated. "I already know that you are the one who's been judging and executing people for Kira. If you've already written down our names, then there shouldn't be anything to be afraid of. You can come right on in." Mikami looked over at Kira for permission, showing a startling lack of caution for such a careful man.

"Teru Mikami, is it? He's correct. There is no reason to hide from us; you can come in." Kira said, giving permission in an almost subtle way. Mikami's face twisted into a grotesque grin of delight at Kira's words. I wondered how the task force still had any doubts regarding Kira's guilt.

Mikami yanked the door open, fully revealing his deranged state. He was no longer the neat, methodical man he once was. He was now just a disheveled man with manic eyes filled with malicious glee. I felt sorry for him deep down, knowing that the corruption of the Death Note pushed him to this point.

"How many seconds has it been since you wrote down the first name?" Kira asked, being rather obvious in his guilt if you ask me. Mikami looked down at his watch and started counting down the seconds.

"Thirty-five, thirty-six, thirty-seven…" Near and Kira were staring each other down, waiting for the second that would settle everything. "Thirty-eight, thirty-nine."

"Well Near, looks like I win." Kira announced prematurely.

**"Forty!"**

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Third POV:

Nothing happened. No one keeled over. No one died. There was just absolute silence after those forty seconds.

"It's been over a minute and we haven't died!" Matsuda said unnecessarily.

The look on Kira's face was one Akishi would forever cherish. It was beyond satisfying to see him shocked and even a little terrified. He honestly thought he was about to win and his premature claim of victory was a clear confession of guilt. In the end, it was his arrogance that sealed his defeat.

"Didn't I already tell you all that no one was gonna die?" Near chided them softly.

"Bu-bu, but why?!" Mikami started to panic. "Why won't they die?! God, I did everything you told me!" He screamed at Kira.

"Rester, Gevanni! Take him now!" Near ordered. The two men ran forward and restrained Mikami, making him drop the false Death Note. Mikami screamed but didn't offer any resistance.

"Rester, the notebook, please." Rester picked up the notebook and walked over to hand it to Near.

"To tell you the truth, Kira, we ended up doing exactly what you expected us to, and altered the fake notebook in Mikami's possession. However, when I said before that we'd modified the notebook, I was in fact referring to the real notebook as well as the fake." Kira paled but kept silent.

"We only switched part of the fake notebook, but, as for the real one, we've replaced the entire thing. This notebook here is actually the real one." Near said, pulling out the Death Note that had been hidden in his shirt. Kira was clearly freaking out now but still didn't say anything.

"If any of you still doubt that Light Yagami is Kira, then see for yourselves." Near held up the open notebook Mikami had just written in for the Japanese task force to see.

"I can verify that the first five names are the real names of the SPK members. The remaining ones are the names of your team. As you can see the only name that hasn't been written down is Light Yagami." Near stated smugly. Light glared murderously at him but the task force members, except Mogi who was standing on our side, couldn't see that. "If that isn't enough, Mikami also addressed him as 'God.' And said he did what he'd asked him to. It's settled."

"But Akishi's name isn't written either!" Matsuda pointed out, desperately searching for anything that would prove Light innocent.

"That's easily explained." Near stated. "Akishi is-"

Mikami threw his head back suddenly, catching Gevanni in the nose. Stunned, Gevanni weakened his grip. Mikami ripped himself from the man and ran straight for Near, startling everyone. His eyes were set on the Death Note though and not Near himself. He yanked it from the teen that was too distracted to react and started to run towards Akishi, seeing her as an ally because of the lack of a lifespan above her head. Mello stepped in the way and grabbed for the notebook, trying to take it from the deranged man.

**BANG!**

A tense, horrified, paralyzing silence seized everyone in the warehouse as they all stared at the unexpected casualty. Nobody moved until the focus of their attention crumbled. Mello released his grip on the Death Note to catch Akishi. He stared down in horrified silence at the bullet wound in her head, which she got from shielding him from the gunshot meant for Mikami. Blood bubbled out and spilled down her face. Her blank eyes stared unseeingly up at him.

"Oh my god!" Matsuda yelled, dropping the gun and falling to his knees. He gripped his hair and stared at the innocent woman he just killed. Mello didn't hear him though; he was too focused on Akishi. Mello couldn't even say anything as he cradled the dead woman he had sworn to protect.

He had failed her. He had failed L. He didn't know how he was supposed to live with himself now. His self-hatred stopped when, to his amazement, the bullet started to slowly nudge its way back out of the open wound as if alive. The bullet hit the ground with a metallic clink once freed from its fleshy constraints. The wound closed up and those dull, dead eyes flared to life once more. They shut right after though as Akishi grimaced. She rose slowly from Mello's now slack grip. She brought a hand up to where her injury just was, feeling some lingering pain.

"That was certainly a new experience." She mumbled to herself, unaware of everyone's eyes on her. Mello's words drew her attention.

"You're alive?" He couldn't believe it but she somehow was. Akishi stared at him with sad eyes. She was reluctant to explain but Near did that for her.

"As I was saying." Near started up again. "Akishi is a shinigami." Akishi stood up and sadly took in all the shocked, disbelieving looks. She would have preferred that no one learn that fact but there was no helping it now. She reached up and wiped the blood from her face instead of confirming it; what had just happened was proof enough.

Mello stayed kneeling on the ground, looking up at her in shock. This changed everything…no, it didn't. It didn't change a thing. Despite being a shinigami, it was clear that Akishi loved L and, if what Watari said was true, L loved her as well. She was still worth protecting; it just wouldn't be physically. He stood up and placed a hand on her shoulder like he had done earlier, letting her know that this didn't change anything in his eyes. She was surprised but also relieved by his easy acceptance.

"Akishi was in fact Kira's shinigami." Near continued to explain as Rester took hold of Mikami and gave the Death Note to Lidner. "She came to us to stop Kira and get revenge for the death of someone very dear to her." The looks on their faces showed that they now understood why she had left. They all were witnesses to L's death. They all saw how it destroyed her. It made sense that she didn't come back, as it was Light that killed him.

"With her help, we've managed to beat Kira at his own game." Near finished triumphantly, smirking at Kira. "Let's see you try and talk you're way out of this one, if you can."

Many emotions flashed across Kira's face in rapid succession: rage, fear, determination and desperation. A crazed laugh started building up in his throat. The laugh burst forth before he could stop it, not that he really tried.

 **"HA HA HA HA HA HA!"** He threw his head back and laughed aloud without restraint, ignoring the disturbed, devastated looks from his father and the others. The laughter eventually died down.

"…That's right." He rasped out, voice worn from laughing. "I am Kira." He admitted. His face was warped maniacally, finally showing the madness within.

"Oh Light." Mr. Yagami cried out, devastated. Kira ignored him and proceeded to preach about how what he was doing was the right thing while under some semblance of composure. It was quickly lost again though.

"There was no other way! The world had to be fixed! Only I could do it. Who else could have done it and come this far?! Would they have kept going?!" He seemed to lose all his energy suddenly. "The only one, who can create a new world, is me."

"No!" Near shot him down instantly. "You're just a murderer, Light Yagami. You yielded to the power of the notebook and confused yourself with a God. In the end, you're nothing more than a crazy serial killer. That's all you are. Nothing more and nothing less."

Akishi's POV:

I knew Kira was insane but to actually see the depths of his insanity was astounding. There seemed to be no shred of sanity left. I never knew that the Death Note could corrupt someone to this degree. It was terrifying to realize. It didn't seem to affect his intellect though as he managed to keep Near occupied with his quick words while he put some distance between himself and the others. I didn't know why he was doing that until…

"…Or fake!" He yelled as he unlocked the secret compartment in his watch. I had completely forgotten about the Death Note clipping in there.

"He's hidden a piece of the notebook!" Rester yelled. Kira was stopped thanks to Matsuda's sharpshooting skills. Matsuda seemed to have lost it though as he kept shooting Kira over and over. Aizawa stopped him from actually killing him but now Kira was bleeding all over the floor. Kira cursed at Matsuda but could do little else.

The sight of him lying crumbled on the ground gripped me. I felt myself walk forward unconsciously, needing a closer look. I wanted to see every detail. I wanted to look into his defeated eyes as he died. My strong desire for these things scared me but I accepted it. The others watched me warily, knowing there was nothing they could do to stop me. I stared down at Kira as he bled out. He noticed me and managed to roll over and crawl my way. He grabbed hold of my shoes and legs.

"Please Akishi. Kill them for me. You wouldn't just abandon me. I'm you're friend. You wouldn't abandon a friend. Please help." He begged and pleaded pitifully. I enjoyed the sight but his claim of being my friend was the final straw.

"You're not Light." I said darkly, crushing his hopes. I pulled out my notebook and lightly touched him with it. I wanted him to see me write his name in it.

"Please help! She's going to kill me!" He screamed to the others as I started to write. If any of them said anything to stop me, I didn't hear it. I was too focused on my task. I finished the last character and stared down at it for a second. It was strange writing Light Yagami because technically Light was already dead; it was Kira that I was killing. I showed the page to Kira, wanting to see him despair further.

 **"NO! I DON'T WANT TO DIE! RYUK HELP ME!"**  He suddenly yelled to my fellow shinigami. Ryuk stayed where he was though, laughing all the while. Kira's screams cut off as his heart stopped. I was the last thing he saw. All my rage died with him and a sad calmness took its place in my heart. I had gotten my revenge. There was no need to carry all that rage anymore.

I stared down at the corpse, feeling my sorrow and regret return. Kira was gone. It was purely Light Yagami's body now. I kneeled in the blood and brought Light into my arms. I gently closed his eyes and held him like I did Satoshi when he died.

"I'm sorry, Light." I whispered, knowing that I had robbed him of a wonderful future and took his life along with it just by meeting him. It was something I could never make up for.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The Kira case was finally over. Mikami and Takada were arrested while Misa was allowed to go free due to her lack of memories. Not that it mattered much since she committed suicide after she learned of Light's death. I wished I could have done something to stop that in honor of Rem but it was beyond my control. Mikami also lost his memories when his Death Note was burned but his sanity never returned so he was admitted to a psychiatric ward instead.

Surprisingly, Near and Mello decided to keep working together as the new L. The remaining SPK members continued to work under them and Watari kept his position until his passing, which was then taken up by a man named Matt. They often worked with the Japanese police, especially after Aizawa became the new Director after the retirement of the previous director and the passing of Mr. Yagami. It was the man's time but many thought it was from a broken heart. He really blamed himself for Light becoming Kira and nothing anyone said convinced him otherwise. He lied to his wife and daughter and told them that Light was killed by Kira. He didn't know how right he was. I never told anyone that Light had died long before Kira did. I'm sure Mello and Near suspected as much since I had mentioned that the Death Note corrupts that one time.

I visited everyone many times and occasionally helped with cases. I also visited Satoshi and L's grave but not as often as before. Watari was right…I wasn't as alone as I thought, there was no reason to waste time dwelling on my guilt. Instead I spent as much time as I could with those that were still alive. I watched Near and Mello grow and mature into an unstoppable team. I watched Matsuda marry Light's sister. I watched Aizawa reconnect with his family. I watched Mogi start a side business as a small-time chef. I watched everyone find his or her own peace and happiness. I never told any of them what was coming.

I paid Satoshi a quick visit before flying to England. I landed gently in front of L's grave. I kneeled down and gently ran my fingers over that name like I did every time I was there.

"Hello L." I greeted softly. I sat there silently, not really having anything to say. I had already told him everything. A sudden thought came to mind though.

"I wonder where shinigami go when they die." I said aloud. I looked down at my hands and smiled.

"Guess I'm about to find out."

I crawled forward and curled up against the grave as my body cracked and crumbled, turning to dust and sand. I knew my death was coming since the last time I really wrote a name was long before I dropped my Death Note again and the several years I got from Kira had already been used up. I accepted my fate peacefully though. I closed my eyes as my consciousness faded. A warm, familiar hand against my cheek was the last thing I felt.

**THE END**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was hinting that L's spirit was there with her in case I wasn't clear enough or maybe it was Light or maybe it was Satoshi. It's up to you ;)
> 
> The feels started to get to me while writing that ending but I adore that ending.
> 
> I had contemplated having Mello develop feelings for Akishi but didn't go through with it. There might still be hints of it in his actions though. You can interpret it that way if you want. He never would have gone for her though; she is L's in his mind.
> 
> Hope it wasn't too frustrating having Mello and Near figure everything out on their own. I felt that would have been more important to them then catching Kira.
> 
> It was kind of fun writing this darker side of Akishi but at times I worried I was going too far.
> 
> I kind of used the grave design from L's funeral scene in the director's special version in case anyone was wondering. Except his name would be carved into the center of the cross. I also used the director's special's version of the killing of the SPK members, minus Takada's involvement and that one agent shooting his brains out.
> 
> It probably feels like Mello didn't contribute much to the case but I swear he was a big help. It was just hard to really write him in. Near just takes over when it comes to that and Mello takes over when it comes to emotional moments with Akishi. It kind of fits when you think about it.
> 
> I admit I used a lot of dialogue from the actual episodes towards the later half. I hope you all won't fault me for that. Though I had to change the order a bit at the very end so that Near pulled out the real Death Note before showing that Light's name wasn't written down. I hope I did it believably enough.
> 
> Akishi got shot in the head because Matsuda was aiming for Mikami's shoulder to get him to drop the Death Note, which is about where Akishi's head is and because it makes for an awesome reveal ;)
> 
> Watari wasn't there for the warehouse confrontation, just so you know.
> 
> I always imagined that Matt would make a good Watari someday once he grew up a bit.
> 
> Please Comment.

**Author's Note:**

> Please Comment.


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